


Not Just Mating

by Korazan



Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, M/M, Marine Corps, Mates, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:27:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21735271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Korazan/pseuds/Korazan
Summary: [COMPLETE] Luffy has always thought about his Devil Fruit as a capricious, spoiled brat. Now, though, it was reaching new levels of unbearability, making his life harder than it already was. [MaLu]
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Monkey D. Luffy
Comments: 34
Kudos: 290





	1. 01 – Slave-traders

**Author's Note:**

> And, last but not least, the story I promised to the MaLu fandom! I did it! Can't believe I actually am publishing this! It has waited on my shelf for two months before I could! xD And now, here it is, hoping it satisfies you :)
> 
> So, this is a multi-chapter story (with a total of 9) with my favourite setting, as in Luffy "with" the Marines and Marco a pirate (I just love this xP ) and Luffy has a different Devil Fruit and a different personality. Anyway, I'll put up the warnings :)
> 
> I've thought about the update schedule for a while and I think I will update whenever I feel like it, with the (albeit weak, sorry, my schedule is hectic, as my friend likes to point out) promise it won't be after more than a week. I surely hope you will like this, because I think it lacks a proper plot... I don't know, as if there's no real depth to the story... Well, to you readers the judgment :)
> 
> WARNINGS:
> 
> \- OP!Luffy, differentDevilFruit!Luffy, OOC!Luffy
> 
> \- MaLu, MarcoxLuffy, yaoi :P
> 
> \- Mate mechanics with Luffy's DF, only his, it's a downside of the DF
> 
> \- Luffy will resist, heh.
> 
> \- CypherPol!Luffy, CP0!Luffy, Boss!Luffy
> 
> \- Slave traders, slavery, unjustice of the world, of the Government, etc.
> 
> \- Teach
> 
> \- Rape (Not in this chapter, it's just in the background and I'll make sure to warn you)
> 
> \- Submission
> 
> Words: 1956.
> 
> Enjoy!

One would think slave-traders to be smart people. They dealt with common folks, brought them to trust strangers and then kidnapped them, raped them, sold them, killed them. They were always trading lives, living off others’ naivety and futures. It was cruel, it was disgusting, it was inhuman. But, to never be arrested – not once had Marco read or heard of a slave-trader caught, red-handed or not – they had to be the least bit smart. On the other hand, the Government _was_ corrupt, from its roots to the almighty trunk, maybe only the leaves… _some_ leaves were spared of that.

It didn’t take a genius to know that the higher-ups of the ones that should have protected the citizens were turning blind eyes at those dealings. The marines always bragged about pirates this, pirates that, ‘they’re the evil that must be unrooted from the world’… But did they notice how the shady figures, the _real_ threats, were tarnishing everything they came in touch with? Obviously not. The marine outposts were not present in each and every island; some needed just a little protection, that the Government wasn’t giving them. Unjustly.

But he was digressing…

So, addressing the matter at hand, why were they proving to be so stupid and ready-to-be-slaughtered by trying to acquire new ‘goods’ on Whitebeard’s turf?

It was _stupid_. Every island that his pops had brought under his protective wing had its sentry. Their crew was vast: many pirates hadn’t chosen that life to chase adventure, but only for freedom or simply for a new occasion at life. Those ones were perfect to settle on islands as welcomed new villagers… and to watch over them like guardian angels. They were always quick in finding suspicious people and stopping anything that came to threaten the peace of a thriving village. But, in case of a slave-traders’ fleet… That required a bit more.

The call for help had come just two days prior. Pops had planned to send a ship, but Marco had helpfully volunteered to take care of the issue himself. Alone. He was fast on his fire wings and they needed all the crew, considering how many pirates had started to _bravely_ target them for bounties. He’d departed without further ado, waving at Izo, Thatch, Ace and Sabo on the deck. And to pops, of course.

He’d just arrived at the docks. The simple fact that, sun barely setting, he could not see anyone was meaningful enough. Not even the sentinel, Giou, was there waiting for him. He stretched after the two days long journey, feeling a bit cranky and sore. There was no way the slave-traders had already taken everyone and fled in so little time. They were the slow ones, taking their sweet time to lure people in their grasps and he had not seen ships leaving the island.

Marco decided against flying around to locate their position and started running towards a cliff on the northern side. It had a naturally dug cave and was high enough to hide tall ships, as the sentry had reported before the call was abruptly cut. He swore to himself, blank face still in place, that if a single hair had been touched on the villagers’ heads, he would take _his_ sweet time in killing them all.

He'd seen what happened at slaves in a particular island. Inhuman didn’t cover the exact extent of the activities that never ceased to be executed in Sabaody’s Grove 1. It was the seat of the Human Auctioning House. The ‘human’ part was just for show, they dealt with every existing life. Beasts, giants, Devil Fruit’s users, merfolk… Name the race, it was there. Naturally, the more the ‘goods’ were damaged, the less the Auction House valued them. So, what could the slave-traders do that was not easily noticed by the buyers? Emotional damage, rape, torture that didn’t go out of one’s clothes, slavery, humiliation. It was disgusting, a sight Marco would never forget, branded by fire in his memory since his one and last visit.

What could have they done? They were pirates, destroying a building did not mean destroying the community or its beliefs. It would have been useless… Well, maybe it could have eased his guilt, but what then? The slave-traders would have become angry and they would have let it out on the captives… Not advisable at all. If one really wanted to get rid of that thing, it had to start from the _real_ roots.

As he approached the shore, sounds of crying and tired screams added to those of the waves. He passed through the last layer of trees and the ships came into view. The sun had set some minutes before, there were some bonfires flickering in the chilling air.

Rows and rows and rows of cages were set on the sandy shore. Some bigger, some smaller, shorter… Some with women, some with men, some with children… Some full, some hosting only one person.

Marco checked none of the drunken, happy slave-traders were looking his way and swiftly, silently jumped down behind a cage. He quickly put his right index on his lips, shushing the surprised but relieved people that saw and recognized him. They nodded and he slipped from row to row, searching for Giou. He was alone in a cage far from the others.

The big man, with black beard and short hair, grinned at him with a wave. Marco hid and checked once more no one had noticed his presence.

“Something to report, yoi?”

“Everyone is here.” He replied in a whispering, gruff voice. “No one missing, no one killed.”

Marco nodded. “That’s good.”

“Yes… Ah, there’s one I don’t know, though.” The pirate arched an inquisitive brow. “He’s in the cage farthest from the rows, on the other side, because he’s made the Leader mad, I think… Anyway, he was already in their hands when shit rained, but not right before. I’d remember it.”

“I see. I’ll check him out first.”

And he slid away towards the other side of the shore. The slave-traders were almost sleeping, too drunk to notice him. Idiots, the Government’s blind eye was making them _idiots_.

The cage was a lot farther from the rows, he noted. It was also a lot smaller, too. A man, maybe in his twenties, was sitting against the bars, cross-legged. He was wearing black, tight pants and a red, loose shirt. His hair was black, spiky and short. His eyes were closed. A strange black scarf was covering the lower half of his face, but had a thin opening on the mouth, where a cigarette was lit. How was he in possession of that? Wasn’t he a prisoner?

Marco approached the cage and didn’t even find it necessary to hide. He then noticed that the scarf had fangs where the lips were supposed to be. A hand came to the cigarette, taking it from the mouth loosely between index and middle-finger, and black smoke was blown in the air.

“Who are you, yoi?”

The man didn’t even twitch. “An unlucky tourist.”

Yeah, sure. “Why are you here?”

He shrugged, eyes still closed. “For once, I had bribed a leave from work. I was hoping to relax on an unknown island, nice, free from…” His voice got low on the last words and he took another puff, letting the smoke swirl. “… my friends, that are too fussy for my peace of mind.” He scratched his forehead with the hand holding the cigarette. “Why are you asking, anyway?” And took another puff.

“To understand if I should free you or not, yoi.”

He waved the free hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about me, I might as well piss the hell out of the Leader, over there…” He pointed a finger at one of the bonfires and took a puff. “… and get my hands free. I’m quite good at it.”

Which part? “Pissing people off?”

He finally opened his eyes, smiling with them in a mischievous way that sent shivers down Marco’s spine. They were pitch black, gazing over him with entertainment and some… no, a lot of hidden things.

“My colleagues always tell me so.” He took a puff, cigarette almost finished, and closed his eyes again.

The pirate huffed, shaking his head. That man was too calm, sitting down in a cage, smoking… As if it was a normal thing, a simple change in the weather. He shrugged the thought off and walked back.

First things first, though… He needed to eradicate these low-lives. Marco sneakily jumped to the nearest ship and started a little fire before letting it be carried by the waves. He did the same to each and was soon finished. The pirate then went towards the first bonfire he saw. The slave-traders were calmly sleeping, clutching or hugging their bottles. He pondered what to do with them… He had not seen the people wounded or… displaying mental issues deriving from rape or torture, so he was not as bloodthirsty as he would have been otherwise. Maybe he should leave it to the villagers… Yeah, that was a good idea.

Marco ignored the sounds of fire and waves behind him and started the tiring work of tying up everyone he stumbled upon. The Leader, though… He found him in a tent, mumbling to himself.

“Damned brats… No respect anymore.” His words were drawled because of the alcohol. “How dare he says I’m a ‘worthless piece of shit that’… oh, what was it… again… AH! ‘worthless piece of shit that can’t even flirt with a woman to bring her in his bed willingly’… DAMN BRAT!! I’m killing him tomorrow, for sure… The dare… And I was about to have a hole, too…”

Well, that was enough of enjoyment of the idiot’s self-degrading monologue. He knocked him out and tied him up, too. This one, though, was visiting pops. He made sure the ropes were tight and took the keys from the makeshift desk. From the cages, happy cries reached his ears as he handed the keys to Giou, that started helping everyone out. They cried and thanked him a lot while passing by to return to the Village, unharmed and relieved. When Giou was finished, only a key was left and he gave it to Marco.

“Do you mind? I do not trust that one.”

The pirate nodded, taking it. “Watch these men and let the villagers do what they want to them, yoi. Be wary and I hope to not see you a next time.” He said with a smirk.

“Yeah, right…” The other laughed, going to the tent.

Marco silently walked to the cage of the raven. He was smoking a new cigarette, eyes open to look at the cloudless sky. He took a puff and blew the smoke out.

“Neat work, I expected some blood-soaked sand to be carried away by the wind.” Another puff.

“Sorry to disappoint.” He unlocked the cage.

The man moved his gaze on the open gate and scratched his nape with the free hand. “Thank you, I guess.”

He then tried to get out. The entrance was a tad bit too narrow, maybe. Marco took instinctively his hand and tugged him forward.

A strange spark went through his wrist, his arm, shoulder and chest. He groaned as silently as he could, steeling his feet on the ground at the flooding sensations. Warmth, distance, heat, determination… He gasped for air just as the other bended forward, cigarette falling on the sand, panting.

Marco looked at the joined hands… and blinked. There were two black, stylized dragons marking their wrists, mirroring each other.

“What…”

The hand slipped from his own and the man in front of him… disappeared.


	2. 02 – Shichibukai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohohoh... Well, quite the answer, dear fandom :P Let's get on with the new chap, shall we? Thanks for everything!
> 
> Words: 5144.
> 
> Enjoy!

His office was neat, tidy and void of unwanted presences, as usual.

His paperwork had been taken care of and was lying in a straight pile on the left corner of his desk, as usual.

His black-furred friend was sleeping on the couch soundly, as usual.

His head was aching, as usual.

His cigarette was letting smoke twirl in the air from its place in his lips, as usual.

His first subordinate was coming to tell him something, as usual.

What was _not_ usual… was the Mark on his right wrist. It was the clear proof he couldn’t bend every little, tiny thing to his will. Gone to stop slave-traders, come back with the knowledge that his Devil Fruits’ beast had chosen Whitebeard’s crew’s First Division’s Commander, Marco the Phoenix… as its mate. As _his_ mate.

Luffy placed a hand on his eyes, sighing. Thank some deity this thing about mates was not common to Devil Fruits, but only for his one. Out of all, he had to choose the most troublesome. Just to make things more problematic.

He traced his fingers on the Mark, a quite beautiful and enticing black tattoo, and buttoned the sleeve of the red shirt, tugging down the black jacket’s one. The ever-present warmth on the spot was proof enough to know it was not going to disappear. Ever.

Why that man, out of everyone? Seriously, he had no objections. Marco was strong, powerful, just, respected, feared… All the reports about him that came to his office proved those. But, honestly, it would never happen that he told the pirate about the current situation. May the heat come, Luffy would take care of it by sleeping around. He would not involve a stranger in his problems – though a strained voice of reason in his mind supplied he already was – and surely not the two brats’ new, important brother.

He took the cigarette between index and middle-finger loosely, exhaling some black smoke. That reminded him he should have gone to his doctor soon, his speech’s length was shortening again and he couldn’t afford to die yet. Not of cancer, anyway.

A knock came and the door opened immediately. Zoro closed it behind him, strolling to the front of the desk with a frown. No good news.

“A meeting with Shichibukai’s.”

He pinched his nose with thumb, ring and middle finger, eyes closing. “When.”

“Tomorrow afternoon till evening.”

No time to lose. “What about?”

“No important reason, the peacock wants to exchange pleasantries.”

“I swear, he is the most hypocrite of them.”

Zoro huffed. “Which ship?”

Luffy sighed, reopening his eyes and taking a puff. “A small one. Me, you and Sanji will go, no more. I need the others to check that CP9 does his job. Kai will overlook from here.” The big, black panther on the sofa yawned appreciatively. “You’re lazy…” He took another unhealthy breath.

The swordsman nodded, unfazed. “I’ll tell them.” And left.

The raven massaged his temples. He needed that surgery on his lungs in a week top… A call was due.

Luffy checked his appearance in the tall mirror, fixing his black tie. The usual black suit with a red shirt was impeccable and spotless, as expected of his image. He wore the black fedora with a red band on his head and the new scarf around the lower half of his face. It was black, as he liked it, with the teeth of a vicious animal where his lips were covered. He let the usual, thin line open and lit a cigarette, exhaling the smoke. A final check, putting on the black, too big coat, and he left his room. Zoro and Sanji were waiting for him while leaning on the walls of the ship, one snoozing and the other smoking. He nodded and started walking outside, the others silently following him.

The place for the meeting was an old but well-kept marine stronghold. It had a huge harbour where he could recognize the several ships of each Shichibukai. Luffy walked down the bridge, Sanji and Zoro flanking him, and gazed over the wooden assemble, calmly and slowly following an unlucky recruit.

Seemed like everyone had answered the call. It was going to be a huge headache.

The Kuja Pirates ship was full of women showing too much skin for men’s sanity and its two Yuda were seemingly smirking at being the only males allowed in their island. He ignored the whistles, fed up with each of them trying to get in his pants. Damn women, they surely knew how to keep up their heaven’s population, greedy and opportunist. And they hated men, _tch_.

“Sanji, if I see a heart in the place of your eye, I’m confiscating your secret stash of porn magazines and burning them to cook. The plate will then be served to Nami and Robin.” A gulp – and a chuckle from Zoro – was all he needed to know his subordinate had decided to behave.

Next up was a ship that resembled a coffin. It had candles lit on its edges with green fire, a black sailing was on the main mast, that had the shape of a big cross. Mihawk was certainly the sanest person among that insane group, the only one that Luffy truly respected and considered a good company. Especially when he needed to elaborate a plan. Sure, he didn’t tell him anything too detailed, always keeping his conversation on the main topic, but the hidden meanings did get conveyed and he really appreciated how the man was able to answer with the same… discretion. A small smile graced his lips, making the cigarette, thus the scarf, move slightly.

“Your teacher is here, Zoro. That’s a change.”

“Last time I heard from him, he was bored.”

“That quite explains it.”

Then, the galleon that clearly belonged to Crocodile came into view. It was a pale orange with a crocodile’s silhouette starting on the figurehead, going down the ship and ending in a swirling aft. It never ceased to make him scowl at the mere thought of being in the cigars’ smoker’s presence. Unnerving and insufferable. He was always in search of a fight, especially if it concerned Luffy.

The marine that was leading them to the appointed rooms stopped, some meters ahead, to wait for their slow walk. A water-proofed, big bag was anchored at the harbour. It was floating without much weight. Jinbe was present, too. The fishman was pleasant to listen to, not annoying and the most respectful of laws and etiquette in the grotesque group.

“Will he ever buy himself some kind of ship?” Sanji’s voice reached his ears.

“Jinbe is too rooted to his principles to spend the Government’s money.”

Luffy took a puff of smoke. “He uses that for more important things, I can respect it.”

Silence followed. Next was a… Pink. Damn pink. A whole galleon that was shaped like a pink swan that wore sunglasses. Trebol, with his leaking nose, Sugar, happily waving at Luffy, and Gladius, usual strange mask in place, were leaning on the rail, not daring to jump down. He ignored them, already irked at the fact that the peacock had arrived. He hated with a certain kind of vengeance his malicious smirk, that hid so many things he could fill two books. Not more, he was sure, that was Luffy’s job, after all.

The too big black ship with skulls and purple decorations was unmoving in the small waves. It was empty, no crew was on it, as usual. Why use that big ship if he was the only one sailing on it? Sure, Gekko Moriah was enormous, but he didn’t need that much space. Luffy almost killed him at every damn meeting, the overconfident, lazy and boisterous cretin.

Ah, there it was, the new entry’s submarine. Almost completely yellow, with green in the front, made of metal minus the wooden upper decks. It was not exactly to his liking, but Luffy knew it was the most useful of the ships. And Trafalgar Law was, by far, the one he trusted the most. No, not because of friendship, not because they had the same principles or because they talked. It was ‘trust with benefits’. The raven was not as stupid as to confide in Trafalgar but knew that the pirate was one of the best surgeons around. It was enough to let him take care of his lungs. In exchange, Luffy was set on getting the peacock out of commission. If there was one thing he’d have killed for in his initial stages in CP, it was to murder whoever had killed Corazon, and his career be damned.

But that was a story for another time.

The marine led them inside the stronghold. The place was bursting with life, several cooks and manservants were running around frantically. It was unsightly how the Government struggled to please mere pirates just to be that bit more powerful. In his personal opinion, it was not only simply ironic but also completely laughable. They had so many marines at disposal, ready to undergo harsh training to ‘serve the righteous law’, but the higher-ups preferred _pirates_ , the foes.

He mentally shook his head, taking a puff of smoke. It filled his sick lungs and came out in a black, airy mass. It was enticing, sometimes, how his Devil Fruit made his life miserable yet powerful. A smirk creeped on his free lips, cigarette held between his fingers loosely. He was an addict to the power he had over each of the Shichibukai. It was the only reason why he was a necessary presence at their meetings. Not to gather intelligence, as his position required, but to _control_ the group and don’t let them kill each other or destroy the place.

…

He was a fucking nanny.

Thus why he was also fucking annoyed by it all.

The marine led them to a huge door, that he opened once Luffy was in front of it. Needless to say, a plate flew past him, right over his left shoulder, breaking on the opposite wall with a resounding smash. He took a deep puff of smoke, that always helped calming his nerves, and walked inside, letting Zoro and Sanji close the wooden door to flank him immediately after.

The room was large and high, with creamy coloured walls and ceiling, from which a big chandelier was dangling, too high to be damaged. In the centre of the room, a long, big table was prepared to host everyone, ready with cutlery and plates. Some windows were open on the harbour, one led to a balcony. The floor was in marble and Luffy instantly scowled at the loss of money for something so trivial. There were several catering tables with various kinds of food and one with beverages. It was obvious that what was edible came from the peacock’s ship, too flashy and attention-grabbing.

It was not like Luffy would eat a single ounce of what was in that room. He had rules that had allowed him to survive for long and one of them was to always, _always_ , eat what he trusted. He only trusted Sanji’s cooking, as of late.

Now, the sight of Crocodile and Moriah fighting wasn’t new, it happened every single time. The sight of a broken table, three scared manservants hiding behind it and food on the floor was. Normally, they kept it at a minimum, well-behaving because they knew Luffy was on his way. This time, though, he needed to do his ‘nanny’ job and pull them by the ears. Fucking awesome.

Sanji and Zoro stopped at the entrance, arms crossed and leaning on either side of the door. Luffy walked right between the two fighting men, only exhaling some smoke. They immediately stopped their punches.

“As much as a brawl seems more entertaining than spending a precious afternoon of my life with you…” Another needed puff. “I must ask you to fall back and sit down at the table.”

Crocodile scowled for good measure, but clicked his tongue and took his seat, cloak swirling as he turned. Moriah didn’t lose his usual, annoying grin and laughed lightly before doing the same, big pear body almost crushing the chair. Luffy looked around some more.

The three scared manservants scurried off with some shrieks. They weren’t marines, but it was unsightly. On a windowsill, Mihawk nodded at him, standing up to join the others at the table silently. He nodded back. Trafalgar Law was the only one that had been sitting dutifully at his chair since the very beginning. The surgeon was gazing over his body in an eye-check. From his scowl, his situation might have been worse than previously thought. Luffy barely nodded, cigarette back in his lips. Sitting at the table, Jinbe had just stood from the floor, where he’d been meditating. Donquixote Doflamingo was standing near what was Luffy’s chair, the one at the table head, seemingly waiting for him to take the seat and grinning maniacally, as usual.

The raven held back a shrug and let the man ‘help’ him sitting down. He went to take his spot. It was then that the last one joined the picture. The woman was probably returning from the bathroom. She ran to him, starry-eyed, but Luffy lifted a hand and she stopped right before she could wrap him in a hug.

“As I always say, I don’t appreciate being touched.” Smoke came out of his mouth. “Take your seat so we can start this meeting.”

Boa pouted, but obeyed. Seeing that everyone was behaving and ready, he rang the small bell near his plate and food started coming in. Not for him, he was pleased to notice. They were doing a good job today, he made a mental note to tip them. Minus the three scaredy-cats.

When everything was served, even from the catering tables, the door closed and the Shichibukai’s started eating the delicious-looking food. Luffy took the bottle of red wine from his cloak and poured himself a glass, sipping it calmly while the cigarette was in his other hand. The liquid slid down his throat and he almost hummed in delight. It was good.

“What is this meeting for?” Moriah’s pitchy voice came and Luffy lifted his gaze from the glass.

It was not his duty to answer, another one had called for it. To ‘exchange pleasantries’. Though, he noted, it was strange to have everyone gathered, the peacock had sure gone out of his way to make it happen.

“Seeing the Boss hasn’t begun talking already, it’s not for something important.” Crocodile cut a beef steak with the silver knife.

Luffy briefly bathed in the proudness of being called Boss by such individuals. It had not started from him, the strange nickname. At the beginning, they were at his throat, literally, whenever they met him. Tired of that, the raven had done his intelligence gathering and found out so many secrets that, a ‘little talk’ later, each and every one of them was following his polite demands without even glaring back. And the name started, even among the marines. He would bet that it was some way to subtly ridicule him, but did they understand that it was having the exact opposite effect? Most probably not.

“I called for the meeting.” The smirking maniac drank some wine. “No particular reason.” He sing-sang.

Crocodile glared. “You’re saying I left my business mid-way because of a child’s whim?!” His voice rose with each word.

“I’m not a child, children are short. I’m quite taller than average, I must make you notice.” The mockery tone was crystal clear.

Luffy sighed soundlessly when the scarred pirate stood in rage and the peacock wiggled his fingers with invisible threads going around the room. He had to intervene, had he? He silently put the almost empty glass on the table and took a puff of smoke, then flared his Haki.

“ **Sit down**.”

The temperature dropped instantly as everyone froze. Even Boa gulped the desire to squeal. Crocodile scowled for good measure, again, but did as told, stiffly. Luffy saw Doflamingo’s threads retreat, the man snickering not so sneakily.

“Excuse me, Boss.” The raven moved his gaze on the fishman, cigarette between his lips. “I don’t see Kuma today.”

Ah, right… “Bartholomew Kuma has been working with the Revolutionary Army as a Commander.” He took a puff of needed smoke. “His position as a Shichibukai was revoked earlier this month.” Another, slow one. “Trafalgar Law has taken his place a week ago.”

All the eyes travelled to the new entry, that was eating calmly, not at all distressed by the attention. The peacock smirked.

“Aww, little Law has all grown up~~.”

“I see. Thanks for the explanation, Boss.”

Luffy waved a dismissive hand, drinking some more wine. “We’re here so let’s make this day productive.”

At that, Mihawk straightened. “I have a report to submit as soon as this meeting is over.” And nodded.

The raven hummed. “Thank you.” He let the gratitude reflect in his eyes for some instants. “Anything else?”

Boa cleared his throat, adopting the annoying shrilly voice. “We Kuja have sank a lot of rookies’ ships these past months.”

“I heard, but I need their names if I want to use the information.”

She blushed, biting her lower lip. “I’ll ask my crew if they remember them.”

Luffy nodded in thanks, not wording it. He didn’t want the woman to start gushing again. His head was already throbbing enough.

“I could have used the corpses.” Moriah commented.

Law stayed silent, but, from his snort, the raven knew he wanted to say something. They ate after that, apparently no one else had anything more to say. Though…

Luffy eyed warily the peacock. Doflamingo was many things, vain, maniacal, annoying, too flirty, always hinting at sex, but he was not one who acted without a purpose. If he had called for a meeting, he had his hidden agenda, like every other time.

He absently refilled his glass, gazing over Sanji and Zoro. They were bored, he could tell. The cook was playing with his smoke, twirling fingers in the air. The swordsman was taking care of one of his sword. Both, though, were carefully checking the room, knowing very well that they needed to be prepared for anything.

Luffy suddenly lifted his head towards the balcony. In a blur of white and blue, a very thin man with a violet cane and a top black hat appeared. The raven twirled the glass with the wine, patiently waiting for what was to come. The Shichibukai’s seemed surprised and rapidly looked at the newly arrived one… Everyone minus Doflamingo. He was grinning and staring at Luffy. Zoro and Sanji didn’t move either, not seeing the matter as dangerous.

“So, this was the true reason.”

He nodded, extremely pleased. “A little deal I made, _Boss_.” The subtle, flirty undertone had never left the nickname when spoken by the peacock.

Luffy gazed over the man, that took off his hat and bowed. “It’s a real pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shichibukai’s Boss.” He smiled and straightened. “I’m here to propose you a name for the empty seat left by Kuma.”

The raven arched a brow, exhaling some smoke. “Your journey was useless, that seat has already been assigned.”

The man blinked, hiding his surprise. “I see…”

“Marshall D Teach.”

A dark, ominous voice reached his ears. He didn’t like it. Nor the lump of black, almost corporal smoke that was hovering near the new arrival. Now that he thought about it, that one was Lafitte, a policeman removed from service because of his violent methods. Teach, on the other hand, he remembered to be in Whitebeard’s crew, Second Division. He hadn’t ever liked the black bearded man. The Mark strangely warmed more his skin.

The lump of blackness stretched and morphed into a human. Ah, now he recognized him. Tall, massive body, thin limbs… He was completely black. Last time he’d checked, though, Teach didn’t have a Devil Fruit’s power, nor the guts to present himself at a Shichibukai’s meeting.

… Well, part of himself was. The blackness of skin and clothes alike hinted at some kind of power that allowed clones, or something akin. Luffy didn’t like how his stomach squeezed at the newly acquired information. It didn’t bode well. Not considering that, if he was asking for such a position, then he had left Whitebeard’s crew and was a Captain. The man hadn’t betrayed the Yonko, that would have been completely stupid.

He briefly glanced at the others. Crocodile had gone back to drink and eat, but he was controlling how things played out. Moriah was completely ignoring them, mumbling something about corpses and souls. Boa seemed annoyed at the fact that his love interest was not paying her enough attention. Law was biting the inside of his cheek, probably not fine at all with whatever Doflamingo was plotting. The peacock was still looking at Luffy, studying him thoroughly and licking his lips. It was obvious what he wanted, at that exact moment. Jinbe was warily looking back and forth from Luffy to the balcony, unsure about what to do. Mihawk, though, was frowning. The raven decided to investigate on that later, maybe it had something to do with the report.

“And?” He said, bringing the cigarette to his lips, taking a quick puff. “I don’t like to repeat myself.”

Lafitte stayed silent, maybe a bit put off by the situation. Teach’s clone didn’t.

“I want to fight for the right of that seat.”

Yes, he’d grown a pair. “It doesn’t work like that.” Another exhale. “Leave.”

Teach gritted his teeth but did not do as told. Bad choice. The Shichibukai’s shuffled, stiffly, knowing what kind of consequence that ensued.

“I can make you change your mind.”

Luffy lifted the hand with the cigarette to his mouth, scratching his chin and showing his smirk. “Oh?” He felt like laughing as the others almost flinched. “Really… That’s amusing.” He took a puff. “Please, speak this _deal_.”

Teach grinned. “I know who Gol D Roger’s son is.”

Temperature dropped _wrongly_. Luffy stood, sounds of the chair scraping on the wood making someone finally flinch. He left the cigarette, almost finished, in his lips and went near the balcony, hands in the pants’ pockets, making the jacket wrinkle a bit.

“Go on.” The raven didn’t even take off his cigarette.

“I’ll bring him to you, in exchange you’ll give me a seat.”

He really wanted to laugh. “I see… Come in, I’d like to discuss this better.”

Lafitte and the clone eagerly entered, sitting at the table. Sanji and Zoro exchanged meaningful glances, moving from their spots to go stand behind the two. They didn’t seem fazed by his subordinates, too eased by the way their plan was working nicely. The Shichibukai’s, some chairs away from the group, were eyeing them with anticipation. They knew very well that a smirking Boss was _not_ a pleased Boss.

“He is in Whitebeard’s crew, we’ll capture him and give him to you marines.”

“And how, pray tell…” He took a puff. “Do you plan on doing that under Newgate’s nose?”

Teach grinned. “Because the brat’s sure to come avenge the cook I killed.”

So, he had betrayed Whitebeard. This scumbag. His eyes hardened, but Luffy leaned forward and smiled.

“Zoro, Sanji, restrain Lafitte.”

The men did as told, cuffing him with sea-stone shackles. Teach, alarmed but calm, most probably because his real body was elsewhere, glared at him. Luffy just assumed a bored expression.

“You seriously thought I didn’t know?” He took a puff and extinguished the cigarette in a nearby ashtray. “I am _the_ spy, Marshall D Teach.” His voice started to turn dark, mixed with his power. “I’ll make sure to tell Whitebeard to not let _any_ of his sons out of his reach.”

In a blur of black, too fast for the bystanders to recognize shapes or what was happening, Luffy literally ate the clone. It became a hand in his stomach, instantly destroyed to ashes by his flames. He took the pack of cigarettes from his cloak and lit one, exhaling much needed smoke.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!?” Lafitte’s scream seemed more on the crazy side than on the furious one.

The raven arched a brow, looking at his mad, toothy smile. “I just destroyed his limb.” He nodded to his subordinates while smoking. “Take him to the ship, we’ll bring him to Impel Down.”

“Magellan will be happy,” Sanji huffed, bored.

Zoro led them outside. “I don’t like that place.”

“Hypocrite. You sent there a lot of people.” They ignored the screams of the new prisoner.

Luffy sat back at his seat, pouring some more wine and noticing that Doflamingo, at his right, had stolen some. “Sacrificial lambs.” He commented, drinking.

The peacock snickered. “Can’t hide anything from you, _Boss_.”

The raven ignored the brimming excitement in the voice and the following squeal of the only woman in favour of ringing the small bell again. Everyone had finished their meals, so the manservants came to retrieve the dirty plates and put some fruits and dessert on the table. After some more minutes, Sanji returned with a plate of peeled fruits. He nodded in thanks before starting to eat, feeling a bit of hunger, while the cook went back to his spot.

It was obviously delicious, but he took his time to savour the food. The sun was setting already, _thankfully_ , and the first to take his leave was Jinbe.

“I must go back.” He stood and approached Luffy, nodding from a right distance. “It was a pleasure, Boss, take care.”

“You too, Jinbe.” He took a puff. “Do me a favour and buy a little ship.”

The fishman blushed a bit before leaving with muttered words. Boa was next. She tried to sneakily hug him, probably nesting his head in her breasts, but Luffy glared at her. She left crying. Crocodile and Moriah comically stood at the same time. The big pear-like joke of nature didn’t lose his grin, mock-bowed at the raven and waved at the others.

“Bye bye, Boss.”

Crocodile just snorted and nodded before leaving. Law excused himself and tipped his head to Luffy, hinting that he would have waited in his submarine for the surgery. He merely blinked. Mihawk didn’t even bother using the door but approached the raven first.

He left some papers on the table, far from Doflamingo’s reach. “You’ll find these interesting.”

Luffy took the cigarette away from his lips and hid the documents in his cloak. “Thank you.”

Then, only the peacock and Sanji were left. The cook sighed before going to wait outside. It was obvious he had something to tell him, else he would have gone away immediately. The raven didn’t like mind games, he detested them dearly, but he was good at them, unfortunately.

“What do you want?” He left the cigarette between his lips, tired of talking for the day.

Doflamingo stood, slowly coming near… too near for comfort. Luffy wanted him far from his ear. He was leaning down, smirking. His pants were barely hiding the obvious tent. Sometimes, the raven wondered what of himself turned people on, then he always decided knowing wasn’t worth the headache. The Mark… was itching and burning.

“I want you, of course.” He whispered, almost making the other shiver. “I know you desire power, _Boss_. I know your purpose is far greater than to simply lead an elite group like CP0.” He slid a hand on his nape, caressing his skin with a finger. “Why don’t you try to achieve it by standing at my side?” Doflamingo licked his ear, making Luffy calmly put some distance between them.

The raven closed his eyes, exhaling some smoke. “It only happened twice or thrice… When I was only a recruit… I don’t understand why you’re so fixated on me… And I’m not a thing to own and display for others to see, pirate.” Each sentence needed a puff of his cigarette.

Doflamingo chuckled softly, getting near again and leaving a kiss on his covered cheek. “Think about it, _Boss_. I may just be able to give you exactly what you want, who knows.”

And he left.

Luffy took a deep, clean breath as soon as the door closed. The moon was shining brightly outside the windows, unperturbed. The smoke was twirling in the air, lifting towards the ceiling, from his cigarette.

It was not a proposition he could discard easily. Doflamingo had just asked him, without beating around the bush for once, to become his lover, or something alike. Considering the pirate had dealings with Kaido, was king of Dressrosa and had the Tontatta people working like slaves to create Devil Fruits… Going undercover for some time just to destroy everything had its perks.

There were problems to consider, but the idea deserved some thought. The Mark itched uncomfortably, but he ignored it. For the moment… A surgery was waiting for him. Luffy stood, going outside the door, where Sanji was waiting for him.

“Everything in order, Boss?”

He simply nodded and started heading to the harbour. In the meantime, he could look at the report Mihawk had given him. The first page was about some skirmishes in East Blue, something he had to register once back in his office. The second reported sightings of Big Mom in the New World, probably hunting for a new husband. The third was about the Revolutionary Army, it seemed Dragon was moving a fleet led by Emporio Ivankov to the Grand Line. The fourth was about Teach’s betrayal.

This was the most interesting. He had to properly thank the man by giving him more free time. He loved to go fishing on some unknown island, if he remembered correctly.

Apparently, the newly and self-appointed Captain had stolen the Devil Fruit, a peculiar one, from Thatch, Fourth Division Commander, leaving him on the verge of dying. According to the rumours, he was in a coma, caused by some kind of poison, and several pirates were about to take advantage of the psychological blow to attack Whitebeard. Though a simple rookie could not hope to compete against that crew, a bunch of them was at least going to be problematic.

The date reported… one week prior and… three days after the Mark appeared on his skin. That was when the tattoo had hurt terribly, waking him up from his aware sleep. It had hurt so, _so_ much… It had probably reflected his mate’s pain.

“The submarine has left already.”

Luffy looked up from his covered wrist to see the almost empty harbour. “Yes, we should hurry up.”

It was not time to dwell on his mate’s problems. He had a cancer to eradicate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this juicy setting :P See ya!


	3. 03 – Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, here is the next part :) Sorry, I'm a bit late, I'm rereading it again to give it a few corrections here and there ;)
> 
> Thank you all!
> 
> Words: 3660.
> 
> Enjoy!

Marco had been careless. Shamefully so.

He’d known about the Devil Fruit Teach had almost killed Thatch for, but not what powers it granted. Deadly mistake, considering the only rational thing he could wait for was either death or torture at the hands of the mentally instable, and newly known as, Blackbeard. Marco was sure the man had some serious psychological issue, mainly because the name reminded of Whitebeard. Maybe some inferiority complex that pushed him into betraying pops, showing the world he had weaknesses – his sons and daughters, it was obvious – and taking the nickname to change it into something he thought was more threatening. Thing was, pops had not chosen that name, it had been given to him because of his ‘beard’, but the metaphorical meanings of white and black clearly fit the current situation. If Whitebeard was the caring father that he looked up to, Blackbeard was the dark plague that was trying to destroy what Marco and his family had most at heart.

How had he ended up like this… To babysit Ace and Sabo. It was not something he did unwillingly, he was calmer knowing the two reckless brothers were in his eyesight, so he always volunteered to go with them on missions given by pops. They’d gone to an island in their Captain’s turf, taken care of the idiots trying to gain control over it and stayed the night. Little had he known Blackbeard had located and followed them.

Marco had noticed immediately the way Teach had focused on Ace, so he’d ordered them, using his Haki to beat any kind of defiance, to flee. He’d thought he would have been able to fly away when his brothers had been far enough, but he’d not taken into consideration the power of that damn Devil Fruit. It was not his fault, he hadn’t known it could nullify one’s Devil Fruit’s power, but he had to admit he’d been careless. Yes, had one of his brothers or sisters been in his own situation, he’d have scolded them thoroughly and harshly.

So, there he was, in Teach’s… office? With sea-stone cuffs chained to a wall and waiting for something to happen. Preferably, not his death.

Judging from the porthole, three days had passed since being captured. They had barely given him some water and a loaf of bread. Teach had yet to come and mock him, strangely, but Marco was not going to whine about that. The farthest that man was from him, the better. Though, he could accept to be near his corpse. Mutilated. Thatch was still comatose thanks to him. The only sign that Blackbeard was aboard were his sounds from one of the door of the office. He was clearly raping someone every night, Marco could hear the muffled cries.

What had that raven said to tick off the slave-trader? ‘Worthless piece of shit that can’t even flirt with a woman to bring her in his bed willingly’… It fit. To think Teach had been part of their family...

It was midday, maybe, and the pirate sighed, bored and tired. He felt drained, because of the whole situation, and guilty, because there was no way pops and the others would have left him in Teach’s hands. Well, he would have done the same for his brothers and sisters, the guilt eased at that thought.

A crash and a thud made him know the room near his was occupied again. It didn’t take long for groans and muffled screams to reach his ears. It was sickening… He couldn’t do anything to save that person, no matter how much he wished to break his shackles and help her or him.

And, there it was… Warmth spread from the strange mark on his wrist and sneaked up his arm, down his back. It calmed him down, as it had done for the last days. He still didn’t know what that dragon was or symbolized, but… Marco found himself thankful for it to be on his skin. He turned off the sounds and closed his eyes. Images of that night flooded his mind.

Raven hair ruffled by the weak wind. Relaxed shoulders leaning on the cage’s bars. Spread, bended legs trapped in tight pants. Lit cigarette held loosely between index and middle-finger. Black, enticing eyes that could see through skin and walls, that had drawn him in enough to make Marco want to help the man, that seemed to be heavily guarded and yet ready to reveal some shameful secret.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he noticed, once again, how sexually attracted he was to this stranger. It had already been obvious that night, though he had ignored it. But, now… It didn’t simply seem hard, it was impossible for him not to desire to unmask him and claim the hidden lips, to undress him and explore that body to his heart’s content, to search for him and demand a damn deserved explanation…

Every time those thoughts crossed his mind, the tattoo would become warmer, a lot, and even give him a burning sensation. That wasn’t even the most he’d had from it. When he’d found Thatch on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, the mark had all but cursed boiling blood through his veins. Although his first desire had been to run after Teach and make him pay thousand-fold, that sensation had unexplainably frozen him to the spot and calmed him down enough to seriously be of help to his family. Namely, most of everyone, Ace had suffered that betrayal as a proof he was not cut out to be a Division Commander.

Marco still didn’t know how exactly he had done it, but he had convinced the fire-user to not go after Teach. He didn’t even remember what he had said, maybe Sabo had lent him a hand.

A louder groan made Marco open his eyes. Fortunately for the raped, Teach was one that lasted three minutes at max. The screams of the victim had become hollow with time and, unfortunately, he knew what that meant. There was no more saving for them.

Contrarily to the previous days, the door opened, revealing Blackbeard. He was grinning widely while buttoning his pants. The room was too dark for Marco to see something past him. The man closed the door and sat at the only chair behind the dented, old and empty desk. The phoenix was chained to the wall at its left, right in front of the man.

“Marco, long time no see.”

As much as he wanted to answer, he decided that he didn’t want to acknowledge him. He kept his mouth shut and his expression bored, as he was used to. Teach didn’t seem to mind, pity.

“Do you want to know why I haven’t killed you?”

Marco really hated that voice. Too arrogant, smug, confident. The exact opposite that a Whitebeard’s traitor should be.

“Because, in fact, I won’t kill you.”

Something told him that, whether he answered or not, the monologue would have gone on. So, he simply waited. The grin on the other’s mouth stretched.

“I’m planning on giving you to the Government.”

Uhm… That meant Impel Down or an execution. In the first case, he could always try to escape. No one had ever succeeded, but who knew, he could be the first ever. In the second, he would not exactly be in harsher waters than the ones he was already in.

“But not to the marines.”

So, which organization? He knew of Cypher Pol, not very much, though. Intel gathering sections that worked mainly outside the laws. However, they could not be placed on the same pedestal of the slave-traders. While the latter were utterly stupid, the agents of CP were utterly smart, strong and fucking robots.

“No, I’m selling you to a man.” Teach’s eyes hardened. “He’s called ‘Boss’ by the Shichibukai.”

Marco couldn’t help arching his brow. Those madmen were able to bow their heads to someone? That was unheard of. Who the hell could pull that off? He surely was curious, now. Also, Blackbeard didn’t seem exactly on a friendly relationship with this man.

“He’s a bastard, but he’s strong.” He lifted his right arm.

The stump was neatly cut. Marco could clearly see the veins, the bone, the flesh as if it had been just cut. His eyes widened a fraction at the sight. How was that possible?

“It’s because he’s eaten my hand while I was using my powers.”

… _Eaten_? As in… that man was a cannibal? Or was it some other crazy Devil Fruit? Most probably, it was hard to believe a man of such calibre would stoop as low as to eat his own kind.

“I had offered him the son of Gol D Roger.”

Marco held back a flinch, but stiffened. Ace.

“He refused, telling me he already knew who that was.” Teach punched the desk, that creaked. “And also told me that he would warn Whitebeard to keep his sons safe.”

This time, he blinked. Why would a man of the Government do something like that? Marco tried to remember if that had reached his pops’ ears… In fact… He had been more careful than usual since… They had found a strange note in Thatch’s room. But, wasn’t that Teach’s warning? It was something like: ‘I’ll hunt every of your sons and daughters down to slaughter them’. He had to admit, if Blackbeard had wanted to capture Ace since the beginning, then leaving that kind of note wouldn’t have been advisable.

“I had to wait two weeks to put my hands on one of you, but now… I will give you to him and have my chance at becoming a Shichibukai.”

Several thoughts crowded his mind at the same time. What made Teach think this man would have accepted Marco if he had refused Ace? Why did Blackbeard want to become a Shichibukai? Did he understand that becoming one entailed calling that man ‘Boss’? Or, maybe, he wanted to overthrow him.

“He’s coming here to take you.”

 _Really?_ Marco thought, confused. Why would a man, talked so highly about by Blackbeard, which he knew to be extremely prideful, come all the way there to retrieve _him_? It was a bit strange. In terms of value, Ace was a lot worthier, for him anyone in the Government would have flown from one sea to the other. But Marco… Marco was only the First Division Commander, hardly someone CP – if it was this man’s organization – would be interested in. Could it be he just wanted to trap Teach and ‘eat’ him whole, this time?

It would be interesting, at least.

As that hypothesis brushed his mind, the mark on his wrist pulsed slightly. Marco didn’t look at it and kept his gaze on the other. He didn’t know if he was done with the interesting monologue. He was giving away many info, sure CP would be delighted to have its way with him.

“Tomorrow.”

As silence stretched, the phoenix understood Teach wanted to make him anxious. Pity he was not easily swayed – he should have known, he’d been in the crew for two years – and the tattoo was keeping him calm and focused. It was like a companion of sort, a constant reminder that… that he wasn’t alone.

Blackbeard snorted and stood, chair falling on the floor, before leaving and slamming the second door of the room. Marco huffed, relaxing a bit. He leaned on the wall, brushing a hand through his hair. His mind was again filled by _that_ memory, on the beach, and he fell in a restless sleep. Whatever was coming for him, he could do nothing to stop it.

When Marco reopened his eyes, two men he didn’t know came in and unlocked the chain from the wall. Tugging on it, they made him stand and dragged his sore ass – damn, four days without moving – on deck. They passed by the naked corpse of a young woman discarded in the alleyway. Marco sent her a silent prayer, even if he wasn’t one to. There were some more crewmembers on the deck, but he focused on Teach. The man was standing with crossed hands in the bow, tapping his foot on the wooden floor in clear anticipation. The others were anxious, more than eager, to meet whoever was coming, but they were trying to hide it. Several just disappeared inside.

Marco was left standing behind Blackbeard, that took the chain in his hands. He made his joints crack and groaned in delight. It was blissful to feel again his muscles. He looked around. The ship was in the middle of the ocean, nothing on the horizon for miles. They had already brought him out, so he’d thought the man that was supposed to take him had arrived, but there were no ships nearby. How was he supposed to come? Had he maybe a flying power?

A snicker made him glance at Teach. He was staring at something in the sky. As he did the same, a strange black mass was rapidly soaring over the sea towards them. It had no shape, no form, it seemed smoke. It was faster than it had looked like at first glance, because, in a blink, it was already over them, swirling in a little hurricane and pouring on the deck right in front of them. Instead of spilling out of the ship and into the water, it condensed in the air, swiftly shaping itself as a man. He was wearing a sleek, black suit with a red, spotless shirt and a black, too big coat perched on his shoulders. On the raven hair, a black fedora with a red band was being pushed down by a hand, covering his face. The other limb, that was resting in the pants’ pocket, was slowly lifted. There was a white pack in it. The hand left the fedora in favour of taking a cigarette from the pack and putting it away. He took a lighter from an inner pocket of the jacket and lit it. He lifted his head, showing a black scarf with printed, bloody fangs where the lips were covered. The cigarette was loosely held between index and middle-finger as he took a puff and fixed his gaze on Marco.

His mark ignited on his wrist, sending pleasurable shivers on his skin. That was the same raven he’d met that night. The same who’d left him with a strange tattoo without an explanation. The same he thought about every single day with lust cursing through his veins.

“Welcome on my humble ship, _Boss_.” Blackbeard’s voice took a mocking tone on the last word. “I hope your journey has been comfortable.”

The man lazily trailed half-lidded eyes over Teach, smoke coming out of his mouth. “Nothing for you to be concerned about.” His words were void of any emotion, said with precision and concision. “Last time I talked to your hand, you wanted to give me someone.” He took a puff of smoke. “I see some things hardly change.”

Blackbeard snickered, delighted. “But, this time, _you_ are in _my_ turf.”

The other hummed, smoking. “Yes, it is so.” And left the cigarette in his mouth, looking around at the fighting-hungry assembly.

He walked to Teach, stopping at a mere step in front of him. He took the cigarette and threw it on the floor, trampling it. Blackbeard vanished in a blur of blackness and reappeared farther. The raven just sighed and lifted a hand… waving a familiar, rusty key in the air. Teach became livid. In a mere second, Marco felt his hands free and his blue fire licking his skin and healing the few, superficial wounds left by the fight of days prior. He rotated his no longer bruised wrists, flames caressing his palms.

The ‘Boss’ gazed over him before fixing his sight on the bristling Teach. “Blue suits you, Marco the Phoenix.”

He knew it was not time to ask questions, though he felt compelled to thank the man, compliments sure made one comply. “You owe me some answers, yoi,” he settled to say.

“In due time.” His voice was becoming rougher. “Now, please, let me burn down this ship… And capture that arrogant cretin.”

The raven pulled down the lower part of his scarf, letting his mouth be seen better. Black flames flickered as he parted his lips. He eyed Marco for one instant.

“Fly up or you’ll be caught in it.”

The strange, mesmerizing fire came out and the pirate morphed his arms into wings to jump away. The black flames lapped the wood, eating it and turning it into… nothing. Not even ashes were left. Several crewmembers, and all the ones that were inside the ship, started screaming when the fire attached to their skins. They didn’t seem to be in pain, but in utter despair. The ship was soon disappearing.

Marco, still shocked at that display, noticed he had lost sight of the man and started searching for him. When even the sailings started to fall apart, a black figure jumped from the wreckage, dragging a fainted Teach. A thin, metal ring was around his neck. Two black, wide triangles opened, disclosing the body of the raven. His arms had become wings. They resembled those of a bat but were ten times bigger and even more times stronger, despite the visibly thin skin. It was obvious by the gusts of wind they created when they beat. The feet had morphed into big claws and were holding onto Blackbeard’s shirt.

The raven’s fedora was nowhere to be seen, like the oversized coat, as he approached Marco. “Follow me, your Captain is a beat of wings south-east.” His voice was completely different, hoarse and rough.

“Fine.” He had no more choices, after all. “Will you give me a name, at least?”

The other blinked. “That’s right, sorry for being impolite, the circumstances were not on my side.” He started moving forward and Marco followed him silently. “My name is Luffy. Not many people know about it, I’d appreciate if it stayed that way.”

He nodded. “You’re from CP.”

“CP9 and 0, to be accurate. I’m their Chief.” The voice was becoming slightly lighter.

Marco almost gaped. That was one hell of a powerful position. If he had it, no wonder the Shichibukai respected him. Blackbeard had just betted his life like a fool with gambling syndrome.

“Why did you come here, yoi?”

Luffy glanced at him briefly. “To repay a debt.”

“That’s not everything.” His tattoo itched. “But I won’t ask more.” _It will come out anyway, yoi._ “What is the thing on our wrists?”

“It’s a Mark. Don’t worry about it, it’s not unhealthy.”

“Why did it appear when we touched, yoi?”

He sighed softly. “Because my Devil Fruit is _ancient_. It is a beast that chose its mate and Marked him or her because of its possessiveness.” His pale cheeks gained some colour. “So, don’t worry about it, it’s just a whim of my beast.”

… Was that why he had been thinking about the raven with lust? No… No, it was not like that. He’d been enraptured by him before receiving the… Mark. Also, talking about mating… Wasn’t that a necessary thing for beasts? Something about heats and suffering greatly if those needs were not satisfied…

The thought made him lustful. He wanted to be the one taking sweet care of those needs. His Mark sent a spark up his wing. Luffy shuffled his own as he dived over the sea.

“A whim, uhm…?” He simply commented.

When Moby Dick finally was in sight, a comfortable silence had settled between them. The sentry saw them and alerted the crew. Marco was the first to fall on the deck, morphing his arms and sighing, contented. Several of his brothers, that had been running around like headless chickens readying something, clapped his shoulders, visibly happy to see him again, before scrambling away, dropping their… weapons and sharing the news. Luffy let Teach fall on the wood before gracefully stepping down and calling back his wings and claws. He calmly took a cigarette and lit it, fixing his scarf on the chin and loosening his tie.

Whitebeard emerged from the door, studying Marco from head to toe with slowly receding worry in his eyes. “Welcome back, son.” He sat in his big chair, smiling at him with relief and happiness. “Are you okay?”

“Thanks, pops.” Marco walked to him, Luffy following only in two steps and dragging the unconscious body. “I am, yoi. Sorry for worrying you.” And he was, he truly was.

Whitebeard laughed softly, shoulders relaxing even more as the others continuously checked Marco was really back, and regarded the raven. “Who are you?”

“CP9’s Chief. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Edward Newgate.” He threw the body forward, then took a… vial from his coat. “This is a present, an antidote for your Fourth Division Commander.”

Marco grabbed it slowly and carefully. “Thank you.”

Luffy waved a dismissive hand. “It was nothing, I need to go–”

“MARCO!!!”

Ace tackled him to the ground. Before his painful fall, Luffy took back the vial and protected it. Sabo came right after, completely taking the air off his lungs. These two… So closed off at the beginning and almost killing him with a hug after opening up… Totally worth it, worth even being kidnapped. Marco lifted his head, massaging his nape that had hit the floor, and checked the vial in Luffy’s hand… Were his eyes… softer?

“You escaped!”

“Not exactly, yoi…”

The two brothers let him sit, still on the floor at either of his sides, and finally noticed the other presence. Unexpectedly, they froze… and hurriedly stood. Ace took an offensive stance while Sabo bowed deeply. Luffy massaged his forehead with closed eyes, cigarette loosely held in his fingers.

“Scarf!/Sir!”

Marco blinked slowly. Twice.

… They knew him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See ya! :D


	4. 04 – Objective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I hope you had a Merry Christmas! :D
> 
> Thank you, everyone!
> 
> Words: 5129.
> 
> Enjoy!

Luffy had done what he had come for. He’d captured Teach, freed Marco, brought them to the Yonko and had been ready to leave. What was the saying? The past comes to bite the ass, or something like that.

He had considered that, by stepping on Moby Dick, the chances of meeting them would have been high, but he had, uselessly, hoped that he would have been quick enough in leaving. He had maybe forgotten how slowly he does things.

With Ace ready for some kind of training and Sabo bowing at him like he was some Mafia Boss, Whitebeard’s interest in him had spiked worryingly. He’d insisted that Luffy stayed the night. It had not helped that, what a Yonko asks, he obtains, neither that the sun had been setting. The 16th Division Commander had led him to a room when he’d refused to join them for dinner. He had no appetite nor hunger, ‘perk’ of using his flames so much. The two brothers had let him go with two equally unhappy pouts.

“Run around the island ten times without decreasing your speed. Don’t avoid rivers and lakes.”

Luffy left the cigarette between his lips and walked away. That morning, he’d woken up with a problem he’d taken care of with a cold shower. It had not happened in a while, considering he was used to get some sleep in his office and wake up to be met with paperwork. He’d decided to blame his Devil Fruit… And his heat was behind the corner, he knew.

After waiting the hour for breakfast, he’d left the room, suit perfectly clean and cigarette already lit in his mouth, and walked back on the deck. The sky was covered by some white clouds, sun already high. Whitebeard had been at his right, sitting on that big chair of his and drinking from a bottle with a big grin. With a nod, Luffy had positioned himself in front of him. He had planned to just go away, get done with that matter and return to his office and dealings, but…

“Good morning.”

Whitebeard snickered. “Morning, brat. Slept well?”

“Yes, thank you. I need to leave.”

“Not so fast, yoi.” Marco emerged from the door, stifling a yawn. “Ace and Sabo want to talk with you. They are waiting in the galley.”

Luffy repressed a shiver when the lazy eyes of his mate trailed his figure. “I don’t like crowded places.”

He shrugged. “There are not so many, come on.”

Whitebeard openly laughed, eyes twinkling. Luffy huffed before smoking calmly and following the man back inside. They walked in silence, side by side, but occasionally looked at each other. There was something strange hidden behind Marco’s eyes. He seemed about to make a decision, but the raven didn’t feel comforted by the notion. On the contrary, the more those eyes became focused, the more Luffy felt like a cornered prey. It was new to him.

The galley was almost empty. Ace and Sabo were sitting at a table while talking in hushed tones. The Chief of CP0 caught few words and wanted to sigh. They had abandoned his regimen of training, huh… To think he’d gone out of his way to make sure they had every tool to survive in the unforgiving world. He let out a fraction of disapproving Haki. They flinched and hurriedly stood, approaching him.

“We’re sorry!” They said together.

Luffy arched a brow and took a puff of smoke, one hand in the pants’ pocket. “About what?”

“Y-your training…” Ace began, fidgeting.

“We didn’t mean to stop, it’s just…” Sabo blushed.

“Listen, a lot of shit happened.”

“Yes, and we’re not on an island anymore…”

“So… Yeah, we will do it, sorry.”

Marco, at his side, was brimming with questions. “I see.” He blew some smoke in the air. “You haven’t forgotten it, right?” They shook their heads. “Fine. This is what you wanted to tell me?”

They exchanged glances. “We wanted to ask you something.” Sabo said, unsure.

“I don’t know if I can answer, but out with it.”

Ace took some more steps towards him. “Why did you leave?”

Luffy didn’t _want_ to answer. Nor he wanted to lie, not to them. “Because I had to find something.”

“It… It was not our fault?”

 _Basically, yes. In fact, no._ “No, why would you two be at fault?”

“Well, because… Ace didn’t stop pestering you, for one.”

“Hey! _You_ couldn’t stop asking unimportant things!”

“And you were always out for a fight!”

“You were the one _always_ stealing things!”

How had they gone from calmly speaking to bickering… It sure made the past surface. They hadn’t changed one bit.

“You once brought bandits at our treehouse!”

“Speaks the one who woke up a pack of wolves while _hunting_!!”

“Ace, Sabo, I don’t think that’s useful, yoi.” Marco stepped forward, splitting them. “So, what were you saying?”

The blond was the first to turn to Luffy. “We want to show you we will keep our promise!”

“Yeah! There’s an island nearby, let’s go!”

To be accurate, Luffy hadn’t even needed to use his wings. Marco had taken it upon himself to fly him to the island by circling his waist with the golden chain of his phoenix form. He honestly didn’t understand these pirates… They knew he was the enemy, one that worked with intel gathering, and yet they let him onboard, sleep in their ship near every secret they could hide… He didn’t know if it was because they had no secret or because they were underestimating him… Maybe they simply didn’t care.

The raven sighed when the two brothers completed the first lap around the island. They were a bit scratched here and there, already panting – that was the result of neglecting training – but otherwise seemed peaceful. He decided to walk further into the forest, where Marco was dozing off on a branch. He didn’t really want to have more conversations with the man, especially because of the strange feeling in his gut, but he still owed him some explanation… Or so his _stomach_ thought.

He jumped on a nearby branch and the other opened his eyes. “Ask your questions.” And took a puff of smoke, sitting down with his legs dangling on one side of the branch.

Marco straightened, looking at him with that undecipherable gaze. “What’s your relationship with Ace and Sabo, yoi?”

“We used to live on the same island. They started stalking me after I killed some slave-traders.”

“Why did you leave them?”

Luffy paused, not understanding why he wanted the other to know. “Because I knew their lineage and wanted to build them an effective shield.”

“That’s rich from one who doesn’t seem to care about people, yoi.”

“Maybe they reminded me of myself.”

Ugh… this was not meant to be known, though. Luffy massaged his temples and stood, already tired of being in the presence of a man that was able to break his walls without any kind of effort _and_ in the matter of few seconds. It was maddening. He was about to jump and fly away when a hand softly grabbed his wrist and he fell forward. There was no spark starting from the tattoo, this time, only increasing warmth. With his free hand, he stopped his fall by leaning on the trunk behind Marco. His legs were then on either side of the man, literally straddling him, but without contact. He had to thank his knees strongly keeping him up for that.

The pirate slowly took the cigarette from his lips and burned it down on his palm. “Why do you smoke?”

It was a bad habit like any other he could have had. “Because it keeps my fire at bay.”

“When will your heat begin, yoi?”

He did not undergo heats. “In a month.”

“Will you search for me, then?” Marco’s eyes flashed with something feral.

 _No_. “… I’m not sure.”

“Are you telling me you’ll find someone else?”

Luffy shivered, eyes half-lidded and voice changing because of not smoking. “I…” _Yes_. “No.”

The pirate slowly lifted one hand to grip the scarf. The raven didn’t move. Marco untied the cloth, letting it fall. For Luffy, it was strange, after so many years, to let his lower face be touched by the sun. He still remembered clearly when people would recognize him as Garp’s grandchild and expect great things. It had never sat well with him.

A finger on his jaw made him look up. Marco leaned on him and kissed his lips. It was chaste, no urge, no need, no lust… Just a touch, and it was over. Luffy was not used to that kind of attention. He knew how Doflamingo had been, back in the days… needy, lifting his body on the nearest surface and leaving right after. This, though… It felt completely different. His stomach made a flip and his mind shut down, for once.

Marco detached and kissed his lips again. Luffy felt the hand sneak on his neck and he was pulled down. He didn’t resist and completely, leaning in the touch. The pirate kept leaving butterfly kisses, sometimes on his lips, sometimes on his cheeks… But there was no hurry.

He suddenly paused, making the other feel like a drunk. “Continuing the conversation about being mates, do you still think _this_ is only lust?”

Luffy didn’t find his voice and could only shake his head.

Marco brought him down for a longer kiss. “Then you better don’t forget it, yoi.” His eyes were ablaze. “If you don’t come to me in a month, _I_ will come searching for you… And I won’t care about your job.”

It was a sweet, arousing promise… but also a threat that made Luffy feel endlessly guilty about what he was planning to do.

Dressrosa was, for lack of better words, unsettling.

The entire island was surrounded by huge rock formations with harbours in-between. Even if there was a river that split the main, bigger island from the other, smaller Green Bit, it was not navigable, oddly so. From a map he’d dug in the archives of CP’s headquarters, there was a bridge that connected the two islands. Several cities were dislocated in the bigger one while the other was drawn as a forest area with no houses or sings of living. The river was marked with a skull, warning of dangers.

The buildings were colourful, extravagant, with wavy patterns and checker rooftops. They seemed to be straight out of a fantasy book, Luffy twisted his nose in distaste under the black scarf. It was the one without teeth. He needed to be anonymous, so even the tell-tale mask of CP had been discarded on the ship hidden by one of the cliffs. He’d wanted _dearly_ to wear his suit – funny, considering that uniform had irked him at the beginning – but he’d opted for black, tight leather pants and an azure shirt, unbuttoned near his neck, at its end and at the sleeves. The new fedora had stayed in his room back on the ship, too, letting his black hair be brushed by the soft wind.

“Something’s not right here.”

Luffy hummed absently at Zoro’s comment, agreeing. Living toys, passional and vindictive women, pirates everywhere and, the most expected, Doflamingo’s goons patrolling and being jerks. Overall, people seemed happy with their lives. There were dancers in a corner, alleys for lovers, shops open and packed… Luffy couldn’t shrug off the sensation that everything was a lie.

He took a puff of smoke from the lit cigarette between his lips. “Check on the others twice a day, we’ll have a lot of work to do here.”

Zoro nodded from behind and Luffy put the cigarette back in his mouth. They strolled through the city, carefully and calmly observing everything. Doflamingo most certainly already knew about their presence in the kingdom, when he’d want to welcome them he would do so, no reason to hurry.

They stopped at a café to briefly look inside. Luffy blinked when he recognized Issho, the recently appointed Marine Admiral. Zoro sighed behind him, massaging his forehead with one hand. There were some thugs, seemingly men of Doflamingo, that were lying to him, making use of the marine’s blindness to make him lose all his money.

“… I can’t watch that anymore.”

“Be subtle, we are not here to catch unwanted attention.”

Luffy observed his first subordinate go in the shop and poke the old man. They exchanged some words, nothing that seemed to reveal them being World Government’s pawns, and Issho proceeded to use his power when the thugs dumbly tried to hit Zoro. The swordsman subtly left and joined his Boss again.

“He doesn’t know my voice so he hasn’t recognized me.”

“Good, let’s go before he hears mine and starts asking to disband the Shichibukai.”

They swiftly started walking again, stopping here and there. Twice, someone screamed about a man just stabbed by a woman. Thrice, in shops, people shrugged off thefts that had happened out of nowhere, talking happily about fairies. What made him more suspicious than ever was a toy being labelled as ‘defective’ or ‘broken’ by witnesses. It, a mechanical little clown, was begging a woman and a child to remember him, speaking about them being his wife and son…

“My son has no father!” She yelled.

That was not simply a ‘flaw’ in a mechanism. If the toys were living, walking, talking, thinking on their own, then they were categorizable as sentient, like human beings. That said, he didn’t remember knowing the existence of such race, leaving the hypothesis of some Devil Fruit’s power more believable. Questions rose in his mind, why, where, who…

“When you call Franky, tell him to investigate among the toys.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Luffy sat at a bench, Zoro stayed standing right behind it with crossed arms, and observed some more. It was only a matter of waiting, then, for Doflamingo to appear and for his own subordinates to report. Usopp and Robin had gone to Green Bit, Franky was in the port city named Acacia, Brook was following their Boss from afar and Sanji had stayed on the ship to make it a safe meeting place in case of emergencies.

Fortunately, they didn’t wait long for someone to pick them up. Luffy was lazily writing a document on the island so that he could ask his cartographer to draw a new, more reliable map, when a woman stopped in front of him and bowed gracefully. She was wearing purple stiletto heels and was holding the skirt of a long, sleeveless, white Flamenco dress with violet polka dots and maroon frill in her bowing. She was slender, slightly dark-skinned and tall with her dark brown hair pulled back and held by a rose.

“Welcome to Dressrosa, Boss. My name is Violet.” She straightened. “Young Master is waiting for you at the Royal Palace, if you would be so kind as to follow me...”

Luffy held back a sigh before folding the paper, putting the pen in the shirt’s pocket and standing. It was strange to be without his oversized coat, but he shrugged and took a puff of smoke. He looked at her once more and scratched his chin thoughtfully, sending a suspicious gaze towards Zoro.

“Lead the way, young lady.”

She simply nodded, turning to the road. The swordsman hummed, following them while studying the woman. A carriage was waiting on the road. They were currently in the port city named Sebio. Without asking for an explanation, the two men got inside with Violet and waited in silence for the transport to arrive. Luffy took again his document, noting down the little things he could see from the window.

They were leaving the city, the landscape mostly consisted of low hills and some farms. He saw a particularly tall hill, farther in the direction they were heading towards. As they got nearer, Luffy recognized sunflowers that probably covered its entirety. It completely clashed against the extravagant picture made by the cities. He lost view of the hill when they arrived at Acacia, the buildings were back to shadow everything else. He moved his gaze over them, writing details he knew would have been useful to Nami.

In some minutes, the King’s Plateau was clearly visible and, because of its height, the castle was hidden in perspective. The carriage stopped when it arrived right at the Plateau’s feet. Violet was the first to climb down and Zoro the second, whistling a random tune so that Luffy knew the area was clear. The raven left the carriage and looked at the lift in front of them.

“This is the only way to reach the Palace, Boss.” Violet motioned for them to follow in the elevator.

Zoro shrugged when Luffy looked over him. They went in. The Boss made use of the opportunity to clearly see one side of the main island and scribbled something more on the document, by then full of sensible information. He didn’t even stop when the lift arrived at destination, merely looking around as Violet led the way to the castle. It sure was big, but… It didn’t exactly mirror Doflamingo’s style, his symbol painted on the main door aside.

Letting the document be, folded in his pants’ rear pocket, he mechanically followed Violet while surfing his memory for what he knew about Dressrosa.

Luffy pinched his chin, the other arm crossed on his chest. He’d searched for everything he could lay his hands on after the first meetings with the Shichibukai. Doflamingo had been king for the last ten years after overthrowing Riku Dold III with an evil trick, making the people believe he was greedy and crazy. Well-played, but the price… Needless to say, that was merely one of the secrets the peacock didn’t want anyone to know; there was the illegal weapon business, of which Luffy had to find the base, the business with Kaido, his lineage, Corazon, the whereabouts of the enslaved Tontatta and many other things he still didn’t know about. He was a curious man, after all.

They climbed up the stairs to the second floor, stopping at an open door that had the words ‘Hall of Suits’ engraved on. It was big, spacious, with tall windows and four suit-shaped chairs. He recognized Trebol, Diamante and Pica sitting on three of them, only the Hearts’ was empty. Violet excused herself and left, closing the door, when Luffy gazed over Doflamingo. The pirate was leaning on a windowsill, one foot on it, leg leisurely bended, and was smirking while observing the raven. He had something twirling in the fingers of one hand.

“Welcome, _Boss_. I didn’t expect you so soon.” He waved the free hand.

Luffy took a long puff. “Excuse us for the surprise, we had no time to warn you of our visit.”

The man shook his head and stood, taking few steps towards him. “You’re not sorry, _Boss_ , and I don’t mind.” His smirk widened. “Why would I?” Nullifying the distance, he lifted the hand and opened its palm upwards. “This is for you.”

The raven looked at the silver key and arched a brow. “I suppose this is not the key to a treasure.”

Doflamingo snickered. “That’s right, it’s to your and your subordinates’ rooms. The Ace’s quarters.” Luffy glanced at the empty chair. “Whether you accept the position or not.”

Holding back a sigh, he took the key and pocketed it without more words. The other Suits were religiously silent. Trebol had the usual mucus hanging from his nose, Diamante his creepy grin and Pica his too prominent scowl. At least, they knew some manners.

“I have a task for you, _Boss_.” The irony of asking that to a _Boss_ didn’t escape the raven. “Tomorrow, we’ll hold an event at the Colosseum.” Doflamingo brushed a finger on one of his hands. “The winner will choose one among three Devil Fruits.” He took a folded paper from his pink fur with the free limb and offered it. “I know you like black on white.”

Luffy accepted it, putting it with the pen in the shirt’s pocket. “What about this task?”

He grinned, three fingers brushing his hand. “You’ll just overlook things, make sure the competitors behave and people enjoy the show.” He fully took the hand and lifted it. “And check that no one tries to interfere with the event.”

So, he suspected someone was going to do exactly that. “Fine.” Though he wanted money, at least, for babysitting people, _again_. “Where are the quarters?” It was almost six in the afternoon and he needed to organize his information before calling for his food.

Doflamingo turned to his officials and nodded. “Go prepare everything and then back to your duties.”

“Yes, Young Master,” they answered in unison before excusing themselves.

Nice, politeness. “This way.” The pirate didn’t let go of his hand, much to Luffy’s hidden scowl, and led him and Zoro to the other wing of the palace.

The door at which he stopped had an engraved number one and was big. Doflamingo opened one side and entered. He didn’t know if the rooms had been built to mirror his tastes, but they did. The main colours were black and grey, rarely there was some white. Luxurious was the first word that came to mind in front of such furniture. Though big, the rooms were full and not an inch was spared, be it a carpet or pillows or desks or couches. There was an enormous, already lit fireplace in front of a big, black-leathered sofa. Several doors led to bedrooms. It resembled a dormitory.

“Do you like it, _Boss_?” The fact that Doflamingo sneaked an arm around his waist was Zoro’s cue to walk in one of the bedrooms and close the door. “This was specifically made for you.”

Luffy hummed, eyeing the desk he so wanted to use – for his reports. He looked at the closed door that led to the corridor, then at the hand squeezing his side and at the one still holding his own. Holding back a sigh, he knew there was hardly any way out of this… Though, if he carefully played his cards, he may be able to postpone this idiocy.

Doflamingo used his grip on the waist to turn Luffy to him and he let the hand go to slowly take off the scarf, minding the lit cigarette. It fell on the floor without a sound.

“I’ve always wondered why you wear it.” The pirate whispered in his ear. “Is it to protect your identity?” The hand on his waist started massaging the clothed skin, making the shirt slid upwards. “Or is it to tease?” Luffy felt a tongue under his earlobe and closed his eyes, ignoring the painful spark on his arm. “It does tease me, I admit.”

The man slid his hand under the shirt, long fingers caressing the bare skin of his side. He pressed his body against Luffy’s, making his erection touch the raven’s stomach. If it had not been for the sudden spark of pain in his arm, the Boss would have felt aroused at that. Doflamingo suddenly pinned him to the wall, hands locked over his head and a leg between his own. Luffy kept his face void of any emotion, especially embarrassment. The desire to stop the other, though, was the hardest to ignore. He couldn’t do that if he wanted to stay the needed time to search for clues.

Doflamingo slid the free hand from the side to his ass in the pants, grabbing the flesh harshly. “I prefer you when you’re not so submissive.”

Luffy took the chance to show the other exactly how much _he_ didn’t like to be considered so.

The raven started to morph his hands only to stop midway, in the smoke form, and slid them down and out of the man’s grip. With one, he grasped the pirate’s neck and swapped their positions, slamming him against the wall. Doflamingo didn’t even flinch, he just grinned more wildly and reciprocated the grasp at the neck.

“That’s more like you, _Boss_.” Luffy felt the fingers clench around his neck. “I won’t do much today…” He fought the raven’s grasp, moved his own and licked the flesh under his chin. “I want to see how you’ll behave tomorrow, first, but…”

He roughly bit down on his collarbone, breaking skin. The Boss took a breath, letting his finished and unlit cigarette fall, as blood started seeping out of the wound and soaked his shirt’s open collar. Doflamingo licked the wound and sucked on it slowly, Luffy couldn’t completely hold back a grunt at that. Then, the man softly gripped his chin and gave him a passionate kiss. His tongue swirled in Luffy’s mouth hungrily, teeth against teeth. He met the exchange with barely-there desire for dominance, focused on breathing with his nose. Two arms settled on his waist, tightening in a hold, while the raven merely moved the hand that was gripping the other’s neck around it. The Mark was sending all kinds of painful sparks and dreadful shivers along his body and he mentally prayed that nothing of what was happening got _someway_ delivered to his mate. As they separated, a string of saliva made a bridge from his tongue to the pirate’s, that seemed even too pleased.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, bringing his hands down and squeezing his ass. “My hope that you are not here merely to kill me just increased.” Doflamingo leaned down for a peck, which surprised the raven, before letting him go.

He left, door closing behind him.

Luffy huffed, massaging his wrist and resisting the urge to look at it. He settled for simply soothing it with his fingers. The Mark did stop sending pain throughout his limbs, though it left his flesh that feeling of tiredness after a long and strenuous fight. He reached for the armchair behind the desk and threw his weight on it, closing his eyes and leaning back his head.

Some things just never change. His memories of the few times Doflamingo had fucked him, back in the days he was still a recruit, were far from unpleasant. Truth be told, Luffy did want it, but he just… The situation had changed when he’d found his mate. He couldn’t find it in himself to let someone _else_ dominate him. The thought of Marco, however, set him in the right mood instantly and the Mark kept sending desiring shivers. It was damn unjust.

He was the Chief of CP0, the most important, powerful and capable organization in intel gathering. That meant his body was also one of his weapons, and this particular mission _needed_ to be done with its use. So, if Doflamingo found the ‘task’ of the day after satisfyingly carried, he would be bended on some surface with mathematical certainty. And he would not say a letter in defiance.

If it was to save a kingdom from all the things this pirate was doing, and none was legal or good in the _least_ , then it was Luffy’s life objective to intervene. He had not climbed the chain ladder to order people around or to be ordered by the Government, he was in CP because they could _not_ control it, because, from there, from that position, he could change things… Because people like Ace and Sabo, _especially_ Ace and Sabo, did not deserve to be treated as if they were the spawns of the devil. Main reason behind his disappearance, back then…

“Boss…”

Luffy opened his eyes and looked up at Zoro, that was standing in front of the desk. He sighed, taking a cigarette and the lighter to lit it. His first subordinate had those eyes of badly concealed concern and barely hidden pain.

“Yes, Zoro?”

He stayed silent for a long moment, in which Luffy took a deep puff. The smoke travelled down his throat, through his lungs, filled them and left them slightly more ill, capturing the oxygen the fire of his dragon form was using and choking the flames, dimming them for some seconds. It came out pitch black, twirling in the air and dispersing slowly. When the other talked, the swordsman’s voice was low, unsure, and it made Luffy understand that the words spoken were not really what he had wanted to say.

“Are you sure about all of this?”

He merely nodded, taking another puff. “The sooner we take care of the issue, the better.”

Zoro bit his lower lip. “I’ve called the cook, he’ll be here in a few… He said a call reached our public channel.”

‘Public’ was an overstatement. That channel was the one he used here and there after missions that had not really been completed. Normally, he gave it when they had taken care of the problem while undercover, when people didn’t know who they were dealing with. It was something the World Government didn’t know about, obviously.

Luffy scratched his chin. “Who?”

“Marco the Phoenix.”

The raven covered his eyes with one hand, unbelieving. That island… The one where he’d found his mate, had he left the channel address there? When the slave-traders had arrived, before they could have started taking prisoners… Yes, Luffy had left it in the house of the big man with black beard and hair, because he had not wanted to chance one of the ships’ escape when shit would have rained on the traders… Huge mistake, apparently.

“Boss?”

“What has he said?”

The other cleared his throat. “He wanted to know if a man called ‘Boss’ was in the vicinity. The cook told him no, of course.”

“But he didn’t believe it, I suppose.” Luffy slid down the hand to look at the nod.

Zoro was slightly surprised and was about to talk again when one of the windows opened. The tell-tale black afro and the sound of bones clacking against one another made them relax instantly, given each had reached for their weapons.

“He said he’s coming, Boss-san.”

Brook jumped down the windowsill and put the brown paper bag on the desk in front of the raven. He then sat at the couch and started softly playing the violin. Luffy didn’t even reach for the bag, that was letting out a delicious smell – _food_ –, but brushed a hand on his face instead.

“Boss… Why is Whitebeard’s first mate coming here?”

The raven sighed again, taking a calming puff of smoke. “Walls have ears, Zoro. I’ll tell you another time.”

The swordsman nodded, not at ease, and proceeded to take the bag and empty it on the desk. “Eat, I won’t watch you starve.”

He couldn’t die yet, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See ya next chap! :D


	5. 05 – Colosseum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Happy New Year, lads! :D Thank you!
> 
> Words: 4811.
> 
> Enjoy!

Marco was not happy.

He would even go as far as to say he was downright _angry_. Thus, why Ace and Sabo were fidgeting under his piercing gaze. He had every right to be so, scowl on his face, arms crossed, hands clenching on the sleeves of his shirt, fisting fabric and trying to rip it off.

Almost a month had passed after _his mate_ had taken flight – not even a kiss, a word, nothing, just up and not there anymore. It had been foreboding enough, but then… _Silence_. Nothing visible. Only the itch on his Mark from time to time and then… Those sparks of pain that pierced through his body as if someone was _physically. Hurting. Him_.

He had used the piece of paper Giou had given him on that island. The man had found it in his house out of nowhere and thought it suspicious. Marco had taken the channel address thinking it was something useless, frankly. But he’d made use of it on the spur of the moment after the first spike of pain.

A voice had answered, sounding bored but wary, of a man. That had clearly denied the presence of a certain Boss on the other side, but Marco had known better. He’d told him that, wherever they were, he was coming. Not instantly, he had things to prepare first and to decide who to bring with him, because he was not going alone. His pops would worry too much.

Marco had no problem in wiping from his mind the idea that Luffy was in critical danger, he didn’t know why, call it basic instinct or… _mate_ instinct. But, to feel pain… It left only one explanation.

He had the sinking feeling Luffy was cheating on him.

Despite his control, a surge of Haki slipped and the two brothers flinched, hugging each other and staring at him with horror-filled eyes. They had shrunk like that for his scary attitude, yes, but also because they were suddenly feeling guilty. The two had just asked him to go to a Corrida event on some island they were passing by.

With some math, he knew the heat of his mate was going to come soon, thus why he wanted to refuse. But then… He was their older brother, his duty was to pamper and take care of the two… Plus… His protective instinct was quelled when thinking of accepting, probably because Ace and Sabo were trouble-magnet and Dressrosa’s king was a _Shichibukai_.

Fuck’s sake, that was simply unbelievable, fucked up Government…

Another wave of Haki slipped through his control and he forced himself to relax. _Ace_ had just _whimpered_.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes with two fingers. “Fine, yoi. I will come with you to this… _Colosseum_ …” Ace and Sabo’s eyes sparkled through unshed tears.

They jumped out of their seats and made to hug him, but stopped immediately and hugged one another, cheering, excited for the fights to come. Children addicted to battles…

Luffy would have to wait… _a bit_. Damn his inability to say no to his family…

The Colosseum was an enormous building, taller than any other in the city at least thrice and wide four times. Its stands were being filled to the brim by people interested in the event. There were two terraces, opposite to each other. One was used as a better standing for the commentators, that were setting up the instrumentation. The other, Luffy was climbing the stairs to, Brook silently following him with a bag.

The balcony was not too wide, but more than necessary for the round table and three chairs surrounding it and facing the arena. They were made from wood, painted white and pink. The skeleton put the bag on the table and waited for Luffy to sit before doing so himself. The balustrade, marbled, was low enough to let them see clearly what was happening. While Brook started taking out of the bag the tea set, Luffy took a good look around.

The arena was a round platform with water surrounding it, full of beasts. A mobile bridge linked it to the entrance of the competitors, currently closed by bars. From what he’d seen, people could still sign up for the competition. The document Doflamingo had handed him the evening prior was about the prize, how the event would be dealt with and the possible competitors. Out of the three Devil Fruits, only one was truly interesting, in his opinion. It gave the power to force whoever the eater touched to follow one order blindly. The second choice was a Rogia, water. The third was Corazon’s fruit, the power to create a bubble to block any outside and inside sound.

He took a puff of smoke from the cigarette before holding it loosely between index and middle-finger of his left hand. With the right, he accepted the cup Brook was offering him and sipped the tea, tugging slightly down the scarf. Mint and blueberries.

“Delicious.”

“Thank you, Boss-san.” The happiness in his voice was palpable. “Sorry, Boss-san, but is it wise to let that wound be seen?”

Luffy glanced at the bite mark on his collarbone, not at all hidden because the shirt’s collar was not buttoned up. He sighed, taking another sip.

“This wound is a mark of ownership, Brook. Doflamingo has given it to me…” He took a puff of smoke. “… because he wants me to show it off. To declare that I’m…” Another. “Under his ‘protection’. Possessive, isn’t he?”

“I don’t like it.”

 _Me neither._ “Beggars can’t be choosers.” The subtle thought was conveyed successfully, Brook nodded and started to play his violin.

Luffy closed his eyes, relaxing in the soft tune. He stretched his Kenbunshoku Haki to feel the presences all over the place. People swarming to their seats. Competitors yearning for a good fight, for recognition, for power. Prisoners pleading for freedom.

He opened his eyes, narrowed, and looked at the arena. Prisoners… of what? Of whom? Why? Brook’s song became soothing as Luffy stood and sat at the balustrade, arms crossed, one leg dangling in the void, the other bended on the marble surface. The song stopped for a moment, the cup of tea with its small plate was put near him, then started again. The raven sent a grateful nod towards his subordinate, that gave his signature laughter.

He moved his attention on the event. As for the program, the first round was supposed to be a battle royale. Because of the many competitors awaited – he’d heard the number five hundred and something muttered by someone at the entrance –, the crowd was going to be divided into blocks, probably four or five. Only one was to stand winner for each. So, four or five would fight in another battle, try to take a chest from the back of one beast that was swimming around the arena and finally win their ‘chance’ to choose. Luffy hardly believed Doflamingo would let someone outside his own family have it, thus why Diamante was participating… and currently waving at him through the bars of the entrance. Creepy annoyance, he didn’t want attention. Fortunately, no one was really looking at the man.

Brook stopped playing the violin, put it back in its case and moved his chair nearer the balustrade. He then poured in Luffy’s empty cup some more tea. The raven took the last puff of smoke before throwing the cigarette down in the water. A fish beast jumped up to catch it in his mouth, earning happy screams by the public. Luffy simply sipped his tea.

The reporter was soon visible on the other terrace, the stands were by then full and relatively still. The man began explaining the event and showing off the prizes. The three Devil Fruits were in nice view for everyone to admire. The A Block’s competitors started swarming in the arena when the bridge moved and the bars of the entrance were lifted. Brook passed him a handful of sheets and a pen. Luffy put them down on the balustrade with a thanking nod, letting the leg on it slide a bit towards the terrace, and started scribbling whatever he may find useful. Never had he thought that being used to having writing sprees was going to come in handy.

Some, he recognized by himself, others, the speaker helped greatly with nicknames, tales and previous occupations. Several of the ones he’d seen the day before were in that block, but he had not expected to see the two trouble-magnet brothers enter the arena with matching, blood-thirsty, maniacal grins. Damn fight-addicts.

Luffy wanted to flee, but he knew he couldn’t. He prayed any existing deity that both didn’t catch sight of him… That would be a kind of mess he wouldn’t be able to fix, not without _another_ mess. He didn’t stop making notes, carefully skipping the two but observing them nonetheless. In those weeks, they had gained some muscular mass and a straighter back. Good, they had not slacked off.

“MAY THE BATTLE BEGIN!!”

If they had not noticed him at first, then they were not going to see Luffy during their battle-craze. In the meanwhile, the raven wrote everything he could gather from the fights about almost everyone – he was human and Brook was helping at his side, pen and papers on the table – near each name he’d taken note of. He was not even surprised when, after barely _five minutes_ , the arena was full of wounded men, the water had happy but still hungry fighting fishes and the two brothers were the only ones still standing.

They circled each other, mad smirks on place, then struck. Between people going crazy because of seeing two of the strongest among Whitebeard’s pirates fighting like madmen, Ace and Sabo yelling at each other about past pranks, the speaker talking at an impossible speed to report each blow, Brook humming delighted at the interesting fight and his own mind making remarks on what he should have added to their training regimen to make them better fighters… Luffy had little time to worry about one of them noticing him and slipping, making the other land a punch that threw the raven against the outer ring of the arena. Ace barely jumped from the wall to evade a fighting fish, landing on the arena and whipping his head towards Luffy. Sabo, obviously taken aback by his brother’s slip, followed the gaze and gaped.

The speaker was announcing the blond as the winner of Block A, but it fell on deaf ears. The two brothers were then grinning openly, though Ace was half-pouting at the slip, and resisting the urge to wave, considering their twitching hands. Luffy simply nodded before moving his gaze away, trying to convey that he did not want too much attention. The jubilant screams of the spectators died out as the two brothers left the arena, grinning at each other happily. The Boss only hoped they were alone and no more Whitebeard pirates were around… especially his mate. The crazy yells for more of that crew’s most famous men coming from the stands were definitely not helping.

B Block filled the arena after several men tidied it up from the unconscious bodies. Zoro was among them, sunglasses covering his eye and the scar, a white moustache helping the cover and a green kimono completing it. Brook chuckled amusedly at his side while both continued their intel gathering. Luffy had already inked three pages, front back, for the other block only, the skeleton two. A check over the competitors was enough to be sure his subordinate would win without problems. So it was.

Zoro gained some screams of congratulations, probably because of his flashy – but weaker – moves. The men from before cleaned again the mess, the fighting fishes were happier and C Block’s turn came.

Luffy swiftly tugged his collar up just enough to cover the bite mark on his skin from the competitors. Not too fast, apparently. Brook eyed him worriedly and curiously. He couldn’t explain to him, however, that his mate, Marco the Phoenix, had just made his way through the entrance while looking straight at him with narrowed and predatory eyes.

A shiver had run down his spine, and not because of the Mark, when the pirate had immediately seen the wound and a scowl had twisted his usually bored face. There was no sign of boredom, currently, but pure _ire_. Luffy couldn’t even blame it on the tattoo on his wrist when that sight aroused him. Because, no, it was not sending waves of desire through his body, but waves of _calmness_ … In his mind, few words gained free will, forming a maddening thought.

_He’s here, all’s going to be okay._

Mentally, he’d wanted to scoff at the fully registered words, but no… He almost _purred_ at it.

A delicate poke made him turn. Brook was more worried than he’d ever seen him, and he was a skeleton, he had no skin to show it.

“Boss-san? Is something the matter?”

Luffy looked at the hand holding the pen, frozen a fraction higher than the paper he had been writing on. He glanced once back at Marco, finding him turned away to the beginning battle, before taking a puff of smoke and regarding his subordinate.

“Yes, everything in due time.” And started writing notes again.

The words from the night before were clearly still a reason for Brook to read in-between lines. The fact that the one that had called through the public channel, warning he was coming, had been plainly looking at them with that expression was also quite direct as an answer. Marco the Phoenix needed not to be treated as an enemy, because Luffy hadn’t said so, but he was to be left in the dark, same reason. Moreover, the glance the pirate had thrown his way was not one that forebode danger, but one of determination. For what, only the two mates knew.

Luffy was quite sure that him being right on his same island was a coincidence. His Mark was not able to track the other, Ace and Sabo were there, too, and Marco would have not joined a competition if not to take care of the two brothers. His instinct told him it was truly a coincidence… a crazy one, at that.

Especially considering Marco had won in the matter of few minutes and had just started staring at him again, arms crossed on his chest. It did no good to his arousal, barely kept at bay, but the thought that he would have to hide everything about his mission from Doflamingo, everything about the Shichibukai from Marco and everything about everything from his subordinates – for the time being – was enough to throw him in a cold feeling that the mess Ace and Sabo were going to cause – indirectly… _probably_ – had to be _nothing_ when compared to the madness of adding one angry mate such as Marco to the equation.

The pirate took a long breath before disappearing through the entrance. Luffy suddenly felt downright _depressed_. He’d had no problem, till then, in completing mission after mission, deal after deal, kill after kill… Then his Devil Fruit had decided to ruin his carefully schemed plans and choose a terribly powerful man as his mean to procreate. He _hated_ not having a choice on the matter…

To be fair, though, he knew he had a slim chance to choose some things. He was not going to throw that away like a child on a tantrum because the world was an unfair place. He’d grown out of that habit relatively too soon, anyway.

D Block’s competitors crossed the mobile bridge. The raven closed his eyes, deleting the last thoughts for the moment, and focused once more on the intel gathering. Doflamingo had given him a golden chance to, after all. He would use it to its fullest. Brook, on the chair, resumed the task, too.

The last competitor to join the battle was, surprisingly, welcomed with mocking and degrading yells from everyone on the stands. Her name was screamed with spitting hate: Rebecca, scum of the Riku family. Luffy gazed over the young lady, lower lip bitten in distress and teary eyes, and understood. His blood started to boil. Lineage, again, was at the base of useless hate. Brook hummed a tune at his side and the raven started his intel gathering once more.

This time, the winner was only lucky. Rumours were true, for once, and Cavendish had a little problem with his personalities. When sleeping, his other half, ‘Hakuba’, appeared, and that was what happened until everyone was down. Rebecca was the only one to stand after some moments, the crowd loathed that openly.

“The four winners have been chosen, Boss-san.”

Luffy nodded. The arena was rapidly cleaned of the bodies, carried without care away from it while the speaker kept the spectators on their toes. The raven took the stack of papers and folded the ones he would not need so that Brook could put them in the bag. The page with Zoro was not necessary, Ace, Sabo and Marco’s names had not even been written, Rebecca’s one was, though, blank, except for her information.

He took a puff of smoke. “Brook, the documents about the former royal family.” Luffy put the cigarette back in-between his lips.

The skeleton threw some blank papers in the air to hide the opening of his skull. He offered the documents with his bone fingers and the raven took them with a thankful nod. Riku Dold III, former King, not reported dead but simply ‘disappeared’. He had two daughters. The hereditary princess, Scarlett, had died 14 years prior due to a sudden, deadly illness. Luffy looked hardly at her picture and decided that, yes, she could very well be Rebecca’s mother. The question, then, was: why had the royal family staged the hereditary princess’ death? From the records, King Riku was a kind-hearted, benevolent and firm ruler, not the kind to kill his own daughter. That meant her death and funeral had been staged to hide her, but why? The Boss went over the last member of the family and narrowed his eyes. Viola, made heir after her sister’s death, had a stark resemblance to Violet. No ways they were two different women. So, what was Viola-hime doing, following Doflamingo’s orders, calling him Young Master, living in the palace and not on the run? What– no, who was she protecting? Tapping his clothed chin, Luffy made some hypothesis.

One: Scarlett was still alive. It was possible, but there were a few things not supporting this. Rebecca was, as her presence in the Corrida suggested, a slave of the Colosseum. There was a possibility that she had joined it of her own accord, but it was unlikely. She was a slave – still _alive_ – because Doflamingo wanted to feed her to the angry people, because she was a distraction. Either her mother had died ten years prior or she was kept as a prisoner, but hardly as ransom. Doflamingo had no use for her, after all, he would have killed her when knowing she was not truly dead.

Two: King Riku. Disappeared, not dead. The Shichibukai had already used the man to seize control over the country, but he was a potential trump card, still useful if something happened… more than a granddaughter. The people sure would have been delighted to know about the ‘traitorous’ King and to shred him to pieces while he was still breathing.

Three: Viola had some usefulness. Devil Fruit, obviously. Something that Doflamingo needed. Though, this required a mean to tie her, so this hypothesis was linked to the second.

Luffy didn’t know what else to think. If not for family, why would such a woman obey the one that had overthrown her father? Some previous fight, perhaps?

The four winners had not entered yet and the raven became suspicious.

“We’re going to have a break!” The speaker announced… Why tell that only after so much time? “Merchants will pass on the stands to dispense food and beverages.” Something had happened.

Luffy folded the paper about Rebecca, on which he’d written what he’d thought about, and put it in his shirt’s breast pocket. With a nod to Brook, he used Soru to appear right in the entrance of the arena, away from peering eyes. He still had a duty, given to him by Doflamingo, and, as much as he loathed the simple _idea_ of having to follow someone’s orders, he had to please the Shichibukai.

Two guards, at either side of the corridor to the arena, saluted him. Luffy wanted to scoff, but managed to merely throw away the finished cigarette and light another. The new ones Law had made for him were certainly healthier and lasted longer. He’d thanked him properly with information on Punk Hazard, the pirate was probably there at the moment, trying out his plan.

The room he found himself in was spacious, with benches along the walls, a balcony facing the arena and, most importantly, empty. A man with some quills in his arms hurried through one of the doors and, upon seeing him, he bowed and approached Luffy.

The raven eyed the brown-haired, short male before taking a puff of smoke. “Is there a problem?”

“Ah– no, no Sir, no problem, Sir.”

Suspicious. “Then why the delay?”

“Uhm, well, uh…” He fidgeted. “We’re having some trouble with making a fighting fish cooperate, Sir, for– for the last round.” Why was he blushing? “No-nothing to worry too much about.”

Luffy nodded. “And where are the competitors?”

“The– yes, the losers are in line to be treated, Sir, the four winners, uhm, are in a room…” He looked around before setting on a door. “Down that corridor, resting and eating.”

With a second nod, the man scrambled away – Luffy could swear he saw a tail between his legs, but couldn’t fathom why… Probably Doflamingo’s fault, or… or the bitemark’s fault. He tugged his collar but didn’t button it up, no reason to. The only one whom he didn’t want to see it had already done so.

The raven settled for taking a look around, still suspicious about the Voices underneath the whole Colosseum, and hid his presence to check on the current winners of the Blocks. The corridor he walked through was not so long and offered a nice spying spot. It was a simple living room with some buffet tables, couches and bookcases. Zoro was sitting cross-legged on a sofa, tending to his swords with practised care. Sabo was inhaling food, he almost chuckled fondly at that. Rebecca was looking through a window, lost in her thoughts. She was probably trying to figure out what had happened in the arena. Marco was sitting in front of the swordsman, arms crossed, scowling face, annoyed eyes.

Luffy made his retreat and explored the place some more. No one he met along the way stopped him, merely saluting or bowing. Doflamingo had taken care of the matter, maybe with too much zeal. There were two rooms full of racks with armours and weapons of different sizes. Several spots were empty, probably because the competitors had taken them. In the centre of the wider one, a big statue of someone named Kyros stood. The plate said he had won 1000 duels consecutively. He found two bathrooms, one of which had remnants of blood on its tiles. Indeed, he found a short line of people that he recognized as previous competitors in front of a door. It opened at regular intervals to let another one in, but not to let someone out. There was probably some way to get outside the colosseum past it…

Or all the losers were to end up as the prisoners underground. Not a pleasant prospective, but Luffy was to deal with the shit this country was suffering, so they had just gotten quite lucky.

The raven turned around, unnoticed, and located a staircase leading a level down. Probably not how much he wanted to go below, but he shrugged and took the slim chance. He passed past a kiosk and the wall on his left became bars. The people behind them, bandaged, missing limbs, defeated, lifeless, were likely losers of past battles in the arena. Jubilant screams reached his ears and he wondered how those spectators could be happy about all of this. Holding back a sigh, Luffy silently made his way up and to the entrance.

It came as a surprise when someone pulled him through a side door and pinned him to the wall. The raven knew who that was even before he looked up. There was no way anyone else would have surprised him like that.

 _It’s because he won’t harm me_ , his mind supplied, unhelpful.

His hands were held at either side of his head in bruising locks. A leg was in-between his own, determinedly pushing against his inner thighs. The cigarette fell from his lips, fortunately on the floor and not on fabric. A warm breath ghosted on his neck, above the bitemark he was currently wishing to delete. The sensation of disgust from the night before was annihilated and erased when a tongue lapped his skin on the junction of his neck and jaw, near his ear.

“Who.” The growl itself was enough to understand what Marco was referring to.

Luffy took a deep breath. _No one._ “Doflamingo.”

The pirate tightened his hold on the wrists. “Why the fuck did you let him.”

He shivered at the angered tone. _I wanted it?_ “I have no choice.”

Marco lifted his hands over his head to hold them with only one of his. The other swiftly took off the scarf. Luffy was still refusing to look him in the eyes, sight cast down. The cloth fell, a sense of too many deja-vu’s irking him a bit, and the hand came up to grip his chin and lift his head. He had to look, then, and… Those _eyes_.

“Do you have any idea…” Marco brushed his leg up on his crotch and he suppressed a traitorous sound. “… how much I want to kill him, yoi?”

 _No._ He nodded. The Boss couldn’t control his expressions as well as a few moments prior.

“Why do you not have a choice.”

 _Can’t tell you._ “Walls have ears and eyes.”

That earned him a scoff. “Yet you let me come _this_ _close_?”

 _Am not_. “…”

The hand holding his chin slid down, fingers spread to brush with feather-like touch his jaw and neck. Two lips descended on his own but without completely closing the distance. Luffy looked in the other’s eyes and lost himself in them. The Mark wasn’t even acting up and he was so ready to jump Marco that it scared him. It was unnatural… no, maybe it was the most natural reaction he’d been able to experience since asking his last subordinate to follow him. It was… It was mind-numbing.

“What do you want, yoi?”

As his lips moved, they brushed for the shortest moment on the raven’s, that bit his lower one and stubbornly refused to answer. Marco decided to do that in his stead, hand traveling from the neck to the collarbone, to the armpit, to the chest, to the side, waist, to caress his ass. The pirate closed the distance and pecked him softly.

“What _I_ want, right now, right here….” The hand on his ass squeezed, bringing Luffy forward so that their fronts grinded together. “Is you.”

His wrists were suddenly free. Marco leaned down for another, more passionate kiss. Instinctively, the raven parted his lips to grant his tongue access and his arms fell on the other man’s shoulder, massaging his neck and scalp. The pirate took his slow, sweet time to savour and map Luffy’s mouth, making him moan at the show that knowing him _mattered_ to Marco. When he separated, their tongues refusing to part until it was necessary to breathe, the raven felt it was merely the beginning.

“What do you want, _Luffy_?”

The suggestive tone used to say his name was similar _yet different_ from the one Doflamingo used to call him Boss. The shorter male brought a hand on Marco’s collar and tugged him down.

“I want you to–” _continue_ “stop…”

Luffy deflated, like his voice at the last word, sighed and took a shivering breath before using Soru to flee.

Before he processed what he’d just evaded – he wasn’t even in _heat_ –, the raven was already on his seat on the balustrade, fixing the spare scarf over his lower face and lighting a cigarette. Brook sent him – and his swollen lips – a curious glance, but didn’t inquire. Luffy settled to wait for the event to continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See ya next chap! :D


	6. 06 – And the winner is…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! As my days seem to be too busy to respect a healthy schedule, I decided to make amends to you, seeing I haven't updated as promised in a week time, by publishing the remaining chapters in one go :) Sorry, I'm busy and I'll still be for a few weeks, after which I should be able to focus almost all my attention on my fics. Regarding them, I have one complete for two thirds, I think, and I want it out asap :)
> 
> Thank you, everyone!
> 
> Words: 3402.
> 
> Enjoy!

“THE FINAL ROUND IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!”

Jubilant screams filled the Colosseum as the mobile bridge, that linked the arena and the entrance for the competitors to cross, was lowered. Sabo entered with a jump and a somersault, gaining the girls’ cries for attention. He was popular.

“Pipe-Demon Sabo, A Block’s survivor!!”

Zoro was the second to make his way to the platform with an excited smirk. He’d never grown out of the blood-thirsty habit. However, the man was sneakily stealing glances at his back. He was welcomed by excited men and women, be it for his skills or for his look.

“The winner of B Block, Roro Noa the swordsman!!”

Then, Marco strolled lazily on the bridge, _yawning_. The spectators were ecstatic to see again Whitebeard’s rumoured first mate. Luffy ignored the jealousy fleetingly passing through his mind. This time, the pirate didn’t only seem raged, but also irked and annoyed. Maybe, he should have not left like that… But, at least, he was not looking over at the terrace.

“C Block’s stormer, Marco the Phoenix!!”

Rebecca came some seconds after and the atmosphere became stagnant with boo’s and curses. Luffy calmed his irritation with smoke, the flames in his lungs seemed to quell less than usual, though. The speaker didn’t even announce her as one of the winners.

“This round will be like a battle royale!” He started to explain. “In the water around the arena, the strongest of the fighting fishes has just eaten the key to the room with the prizes!” As on cue, the biggest one, with the number ‘01’ tattooed on the left side of its forehead, jumped over the platform, landing back in the water like a dolphin. “He’s ready to fight! Catch him while fighting the other competitors and one of those Devil Fruits will be yours!!”

The spectators yelled as one and the fight began. Luffy found it quite endearing how all four of those competitors were not there for the prize. Zoro had accepted to participate because he could fight while gathering intel, the raven could see the bump in the kimono on his chest, there were probably some papers safely tucked in. Sabo, along with Ace, had probably only wanted to fight and test the results of their training. Marco was the nanny – funny, he could relate that to his task in the Shichibukai’s meetings. Rebecca had her reasons, but they were not about the prize. If she was truly a slave, then her freedom was at stake, along with some others’, he assumed.

The young lady attacked Zoro with her sword. His subordinate looked swiftly at him while ‘struggling’ to block the weapon with one of his own. Luffy subtly shook his head and Zoro knew he had to go down… Not that he would have done so without fighting a bit first, that was asking for too much. Marco and Sabo were eyeing each other, the first with a defeated look, as if not wanting to fight his brother, the other with an excited, _too_ excited grin. It seemed as if someone had given him the sweetest treat ever.

…

Luffy hadn’t just thought of his mate as a treat. He had _not_.

Holding back a sigh, the raven massaged his temples with both hands. Literally, none of the four, minus Rebecca, were in the least interested in the fighting fish trying to catch their attention. Even the spectators were slightly confused about how the round was going. On one side, the only girl was trying – and failing – to move Zoro from his spot – to the swordsman’s defence, she was _weak_. On the other, Sabo was _pranking_ the older man, sometimes successfully making him slip and almost fall in the water. The scoundrel. Marco seemed, at least, to be enjoying the challenge, even though he had not even used his powers nor attacks.

“Uhm… The objective is to retrieve the key!!”

It fell on deaf ears. Like that came nothing but Luffy didn’t have the heart to stop Sabo’s entertainment. On the brighter side, he could do something about Zoro. The raven took a small mirror from the pants’ right pocket and angled it with the sun to blind his subordinate for a second. The green-haired man glanced at him the time necessary for his Boss to shake his head again. Gritting his teeth, Zoro swallowed his pride and slipped in the water after a stronger blow from the girl. She was surprised, however, and fell with him. Luffy face-palmed, groaning. The swordsman swam out of the water with Rebecca on his shoulder and climbed the arena. A neatly cut fighting fish emerged as Zoro sat at the side-lines with crossed legs, putting the fainted girl on the ground.

As people got enraged he had not let the ‘scum’ be eaten and killed, the speaker announced the defeat of the two. That didn’t mean the fighting fishes let Zoro be. No, they started attacking him, one after another, and the man cut them neatly, one after another. Marco blocked Sabo’s point-less spear and used it to launch him against the outer wall. The blond caught hold of the arena’s border and saved himself from closing jaws. The phoenix parred another attack and, with a sudden burst of annoyed Haki – Luffy wanted to believe it was not his fault –, sent his brother on the stands. Sabo somehow managed to delay his possible loss by piercing the concrete with the spear and jumping back on the platform. The speaker didn’t call on it as foul, so he punched Marco, that blocked the fist and twisted the arm. Sabo winced and instinctively curled in himself, giving the other the necessary opening to block the other arm and make him kneel, back on Marco.

“Damn it, Marco!” Sabo wheezed, lungs a bit constricted by the hold.

The other merely sighed, shaking his head. He was about to let him go when one half of a fighting fish flew over his head and dropped a shiny… _something_. The key was then in the pirate’s hand, that twirled it in his fingers, curiously surprised. He arched a brow as Sabo groaned curses – and subsequently gained a slap on his nape – before looking up at Luffy with a predatory, barely-there smirk.

“MARCO THE PHOENIX WINS THE COMPETITION!!”

A roar of jubilant shouts erupted as the winner held the key high for a specific man to see it. The pirate had an official invitation to the Royal Palace and Luffy had to escort him there, wanting it or not. He didn’t want to.

Brook chuckled darkly at his side. “Is this going to be fine, Boss-san?”

The raven took a rich puff of smoke, watching as the four competitors were ushered towards the entrance of the arena. “I’m not sure…” He paused, playing with the cigarette. “We can only be witnesses, for now.” Zoro volunteered to carry Rebecca.

“So, no stray moves?”

“Yes, several people are still watching us.”

“It’s strange, we’re usually shadows.”

Luffy simply nodded and stood. Brook gathered the tea set and the remaining documents in the bag. They started climbing down the stairs to the exit. The spectators had yet to settle down and the raven noticed there were some shows scheduled after the main event of the day. A royal guard was waiting for them at the outer circle of the colosseum, near its entrance, and another was escorting Marco there. The mates locked gazes when they stopped in front of each other. The guards left and Brook gave out his signature laughter.

“Pleasure to meet you, Whitebeard’s first mate.” He said, catching the pirate’s attention. “My name is Brook and this man is my Boss.” Marco arched a brow while gazing over the bones. “Please, follow us to the Royal Palace, where you’ll receive the prize and some food to replenish your strength.”

That made Luffy remember something, so he took a puff of smoke and said: “Brook, I’ll take care of this, go retrieve the food from the ship.” And gave him a narrowed glance.

The skeleton nodded slowly before giving him the bag. “Then, Boss-san, I’ll be back in a few.”

The raven motioned to the pirate to follow with a hand and started walking to the lift once his subordinate left. The roads were emptier than the day before and some big screens had all the citizens’ attention, so they passed by without drawing annoying stares or questions. They soon reached the platform of the elevator, given the short distance between it and the Colosseum. Once the appointed guard closed the metal door and the lift departed, Luffy was once again pinned to the wall, hands in steel locks at his head’s sides.

“How long do you plan on escaping from me, yoi?”

 _Not stopping anytime soon._ “As long as it is necessary.” He said after freeing one hand and moving away the cigarette. “Why are you here?”

“I said I was going to search for you if you didn’t come to me.”

“But my heat has not come.” _Yet._

Marco arched a brow, stealing the cigarette and taking a puff himself. “You told me that it needed a month, and tomorrow is the end of said month. You were not going to search for me, yoi.” The pirate’s gaze hardened. “You’re fine with someone else.”

Luffy blinked at the hurt he had heard in the last sentence. Before he could register what he was doing, he lifted a hand to brush his fingers on the other’s cheek, lining the cheekbone and the jaw softly. After a moment of stillness, Marco covered the hand with his own, cigarette in-between the fingers, and squeezed.

“Walls have eyes and ears, Marco,” he said after dealing with his uncertainty. “We’re on enemy turf, be careful… For Sabo and yourself.”

Luffy swiftly took back the cancer stick and put it in his mouth, pushing Marco away just as the door opened on the hill. No one was waiting for them, so the raven made way towards his quarters, where the room with the prizes was located. Viola was standing in front of the Ace’s door. She bowed respectfully.

“Boss,” she said, then did something strange.

The young lady lifted her hands, made thumbs touch indexes and flipped them in a glasses fashion over her eyes. She suddenly gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Luffy arched a brow, but opened the door and motioned for her to go inside. She did it without complaining and Marco simply took a seat on one of the couches.

Luffy opened the window for Brook to easily enter through. A sniff made him turn and he combed his hair in frustration, closing the window again, when he saw the hereditary princess cry in her hands, sitting on another sofa. He didn’t understand women that well, he needed Robin or Nami for this kind of things.

Taking a puff of black smoke, he sat in front of her. “Viola-hime, what are you planning?”

She sniffed and hiccupped before wiping her face in the skirt of her dress. “I… I… Please, help us…” Well now… “I’m sorry to–” Another sniff. “To ask you this, you… you’re too kind, Boss.”

Luffy arched a brow, then a previous hypothesis came to mind. “What’s your Devil Fruit power, Viola-hime?”

“I can ‘see’ everything in a 4000-kilometres’ radius and I… I can read minds…”

 _Fantastic._ “And who are you protecting?”

She closed her eyes. “My father.”

Luffy hummed and emptied the bag on the desk. “I’m right assuming you are the source of Doflamingo’s information.”

“Yes.”

He rapidly checked his papers and blinked confusedly. “Where is King Riku?”

“Father was one of the competitors.”

Yes, he found him, a man in armour with a helmet covering his face, he’d left the arena limping and wounded. But that was not what he was finding suspicious. Out of the names he’d written, half of them he couldn’t remember ever _existing_. Who were these Xai and Boo, noted beside Chinjao’s name? It was his handwriting alright and he noticed the information coincided with Brook’s notes.

He pinched his chin in thought. Rebecca was Scarlett’s daughter, her age was right for the time gap between her staged death and the current day. Then, as per his hypothesis, the former hereditary princess had left her position for love, thus giving birth to a baby girl.

“Who is the father?” He breathed.

Viola blinked, visibly confused. “I’m sorry, whose father?”

“Rebecca’s father, Viola-hime. Who is he?”

The young lady frowned softly. “She has no father.”

 _“My son has no father!”_ The woman had yelled the day prior to the toy claiming to be her husband. Luffy covered his eyes with one hand, finally piecing some things together. Someone had the power to turn people into toys and at the same time – because it couldn’t be two, either that had to be done on the persons forgetting about the ‘toy’, too – erase their existence from people’s minds. It couldn’t erase written information about them, apparently. A huge flaw…

Luffy froze. It was so sudden that Marco stood to approach him. In that moment, the window opened and Brook entered with a backpack. The skeleton left it on the floor before talking in a serious tone, something that occurred only when he noticed the raven’s distress.

“Boss-san, what happened?”

In a burst of rage, he burned to ashes the cigarette between his lips. “I would have not let this thing happen without one of you participating, am I right?” It was not a question.

Brook shook his head slowly. “No, I was just thinking it was strange of you to do so.”

“I have not.” His voice took a dark undertone because of not smoking. “I have most certainly sent one of you.” He looked at the musician. “Go back at the ship, take the files about CP0 and check them _thoroughly_.” With a nod, his subordinate was already leaving. “Viola-hime, why has the Royal family staged Scarlett-hime’s death?”

No answer came. Marco was barely restraining himself from asking an explanation. Luffy’s migraine was coming back with a vengeance. He took another cigarette to calm his anxiety and conceal the flames coming up his throat. It was not healthy for the woman.

Back to the topic at hand. Scarlett’s husband, who was he? Where was he? If he was still alive, what toy was he? If he was still alive, a man able to be accepted by a kind-hearted family ought to be kind himself, so he wouldn’t have abandoned her daughter…

“Is there someone who’s helped Rebecca during these years?” He turned to her, taking the backpack to put the food on the low table between the sofas.

She smiled fondly. “A soldier toy, I’ve observed them… I’m grateful to him.”

“I need to meet him, as soon as possible.”

“Doflamingo–”

“Don’t worry about him, arrange a meeting.” He smoked some. “What help did you want from me, Viola-hime?”

“The Tontatta tribe… Uhm, it’s better if I show you…” She stood and Luffy struggled to stay put as her forehead touched his.

Images of ‘fairies’, Green Bit’s underground city, their unparalleled and astounding strength, their desire to overthrow Doflamingo, the SLIME factory, their princess, the port right under the Colosseum, the toy house, the days of the ‘betrayal’ of King Riku, the soldier-toy that had helped Rebecca. The raven closed his eyes when she went back to the sofa. Everything was a bit clearer.

“Can you help them?”

He almost burned again the cigarette, but simply took it in his hand to take a long, deep breath. “I’m here for a reason,” he began. “I can give you no guara–”

Viola did the same thing from before with his hands and a shy smile bloomed on her lips. “I understand, thank you. The Young Master has ordered me to accompany you in a tour of the kingdom, this afternoon at 4. Have a good meal.”

She stood, bowed and left. Luffy sighed, then looked over at Marco. He noticed the pirate was nearer than before, a lot. The raven was leaning on the desk while the Corrida’s winner was in his breathing space.

“Either you’re much smarter than me or I lack a lot of information, yoi.”

“Both.” He pointed at a room. “Your reward’s here, go choose one of the Devil Fruits.”

Luffy pushed him away with a hand on his chest. He then turned and rearranged the food. Warmth covered him entirely from the back. Two arms sneaked around his waist, gripping the skin through the shirt. Luffy shivered when the other’s breath ghosted on his neck.

“I’d prefer this key opened some other door, yoi.” He stole his cigarette, _again_.

The raven continued giving his attention to the food, ignoring the clothed flesh against his ass. “For instance?”

He felt the smirk on his skin. “The door to your heart?”

That was… quite nice, actually. Who else had ever asked for that? No one he remembered about. Everyone was always fixated on his powers, his intel, his body… Marco had showed him time and time again that none of those were what he was interested into – well, not _only_. He wanted Luffy for what Luffy was.

But that was hardly the thing to think about in such an occasion. “Before someone enters and finds you trying to get in my pants and me letting you do exactly that, please, step back.”

The thumbs played with the shirt, making it slid upwards. “I told you once already. You were not going to search for me, yoi, so I won’t care about your position.”

Luffy took back his cancer stick when the food was arranged, spinning around in the hold and coming face-to-face with the predator trying to prey on him. His lips were captured right after, but he bit down – not to draw blood, he didn’t need to explain _another_ bitemark – and took back his freedom. He sat behind his desk and started eating a sandwich.

Marco was about to circle the piece of furniture when Brook saved him by coming back. The skeleton hurriedly made his way to the Boss, almost out of breath – which, well, was unexplainable –, and freed space on the surface for some papers.

“I don’t remember him.”

Roronoa Zoro, ex pirate hunter, swordsman, three-swords’ style, green-haired, his first ‘true’ subordinate and first agent of the newly-created CP0. The cigarette was turned to nothing as he inadvertently exhaled his flames. They twirled in the air, almost falling on the desk. Luffy swiftly waved them off, making the danger disappear.

“Me neither.” But, if the file existed, then the man existed and was part of his team. “This is my handwriting and it’s proof enough.”

“What do we do, Boss?” The drop of ‘san’ meant Brook was barely controlling his own anger.

Luffy thought about it for a moment. “We don’t have enough information. I’ll use the opportunity Doflamingo is gifting me to make a ‘tour’ of the kingdom.” His voice turned hoarse and Brook took some steps back, a hand on his teeth and missing nose. “Ah, sorry… Go back to the ship, for the time being, and frequently check on the others.”

“Couldn’t he have had a Den Den Mushi?” The skeleton’s voice was strained.

“He probably doesn’t anymore.” Luffy sighed. “Go, before you start coughing.”

With a wary and curious glance at the unaffected Marco, Brook nodded and did as ordered. There was a simple explanation as to why the pirate did not suffer from the breath of his flames permeating the air, and the tattoo on their wrists was its proof. He didn’t bother to light another cigarette, he’d have burned that one, too.

“It’s not only to ‘keep you fire at bay’, yoi.” Marco said, settling to eat something. “The breath you exhale is poisonous, too.”

“Something like that.”

“So, being your mate, I’m not affected?”

Luffy sighed. “I can’t harm you, not even by _accident_.” And _that_ irked him… a bit.

Marco smirked. “That’s interesting… So, if, say, Doflamingo comes through that door and I decide to ravish you, you won’t be able to do anything?”

He didn’t like that idea in the slightest. “See that you don’t.”

“No guarantees, yoi.”

It seemed more like a threat… But it felt like a promise.


	7. 07 – Tontatta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words: 3143.
> 
> Enjoy!

After eating lunch in peace – though Luffy had to evade several tries at something sexual from Marco –, Violet came to fetch him and, _obviously_ , the pirate followed them. Half-way to the elevator, however, Luffy thanked the heavens for having sent Brook for a brief report on everyone, because he’d promptly thrown the pirate in the skeletal hands and disappeared with Viola-hime. The last thing he needed was to attract attention because the winner of the Corrida was flirting with him out in the open… Especially considering Doflamingo would have been the first next person to know.

He listened to the woman as she explained some things about Dressrosa, its people, traditions, festivities, all the while taking notes. He was not going to miss on such an opportunity to gather intel, it was his primary job.

They walked around for an hour or so. There were not many people, maybe still caught by the events at the Colosseum. Luffy briefly looked at the big building, fingering his scarf and taking a puff of smoke. Maybe Roronoa was right there… How many were the participants?

He took a paper, the one with the most useful information about the Corrida he’d filled after lunch – while evading Marco –, and checked the number: over five hundreds. Now, how could the streets be already that deserted if there were so many pirates and outlaws – be them toys or humans – around just hours prior? In his opinion, they would have stormed the city, free from the marines’ tries to catch them, and instead…

Back in the Colosseum, he’d seen the queue of wounded waiting to enter the infirmary, but no one coming out. The hypothesis had been that there was an exit on the other side, now though… Where had they disappeared to? Really, were they there, underneath?

“Boss?”

Luffy looked up from his paper, folding it back in the front pocket of his shirt. The raven woman was looking at him with an arched brow and curious eyes. He appreciated the respect of his privacy when she didn’t use his powers.

“Is something the matter?”

The spy looked around, finding they were heading out of the city and alone, and took a puff of smoke. “Pray tell, Viola-hime, what are the toys?”

She frowned. “I… They are… toys?“

Luffy lifted the hand holding the cigarette. “Say no more, where are we going?”

She swallowed, straightening and still leading the way. “I thought it would have been interesting for you to see Green Bit.”

As in: this is what you’re interested to see. “Very well.”

A carriage was waiting for them slightly further. They hopped in and passed the travel time in comfortable silence. Violet kept stealing assessing glances at him, but Luffy had finally a moment to relax a bit so he wasn’t going to let it slip. He closed his eyes, arms crossed, and took a deep breath. He didn’t fall asleep, but recovered some of the strength he’d spent stressing over the whole situation.

Summing it up…

Dressrosa was a good cover for several illegal things. As he’d understood – though he could still be well off the hook –, the dealings with Kaido were only the tip of the Iceberg and were carried on in the port right under the Colosseum. The goods were created in the SLIME factory where Green Bit’s fairies were kept prisoners and used as slaves to create artificial Devil Fruits. Their princess was the ransom. The toys were most probably people turned that way because of a Devil Fruit’s power, question was: whose? He knew almost everyone of Doflamingo’s crew. Whoever this person was, he ought to be held in high regard… Maybe, with him/her out of commission, the magic would end… Dangerous.

He opened his eyes, catching the woman watching him. “Viola-hime.” She tensed and blushed as Luffy took a puff of smoke. “Is there a member of the crew that Doflamingo seems keen, more than others, on protecting?”

She frowned. “He is protective of everyone, especially the children.”

“No one more than any others?” He pressed.

Violet thought about it. “Sugar, maybe. She always has Trebol with her as a bodyguard.”

Now now… He smirked. Sugar was not a child. She was 22 years old, younger sister of Monet, that was 30. So, the reason why she needed a bodyguard… What was it? She was _no_ child. Luffy knew she was able to defend herself. He was ready to bet she was the one with the power to turn people into toys, but better be wary. Being too sure of things without proof was dangerous, in his line of work.

So, going on… This soldier toy he was about to meet. He had apparently helped Rebecca since day one after Doflamingo had taken rule over the country. If he was guessing correctly, then the toy was Rebecca’s father and the reason why Scarlett had staged her death. In that case, he was probably not of noble family… Maybe even a criminal.

The carriage suddenly stopped and Luffy looked out of the small window. They were in front of a broken, big bridge. Past it was the island, Green Bit, with tall trees and secrets hiding in there… Beneath the ground.

He took a puff of smoke as the woman climbed off the carriage. “How are we to reach the island?” He asked, joining her.

“I honestly hoped you could have taken care of that.”

Sure, fairies flew, they didn’t need the bridge. Not considering there probably were no humans interested in the little green paradise because of the country they had, seemingly taken straight out of a fairy tale book. Luffy sighed, but morphed his arms into wings, hiding them in black mist. He didn’t like being observed in that form, less people knew, the better.

He let some smoke grip the princess from the waist. She kept in a surprised scream, appreciatively, and Luffy flew up in the sky, dodging various fish beasts that closed their jaws on thin air. She did scream, this time. They were on the opposite shore in no more than one minute, so the problem was easily solved.

The Boss morphed back and eyed the place curiously. Why was there a marine ship ashore?

He crossed his arms in thought. He had not seen marine ships docked, so… was that one Fujitora’s? Could be, or could not. He shrugged and lifted a hand to the forest.

“Make way, Viola-hime.”

She nodded and started walking. Luffy followed closely, evading every root and branch. He didn’t know these plants. They could even be poisonous to the touch. The spy observed the vibrant colours of nature in the fairies’ forest and admitted to himself it was rather beautiful. Big purple and blue flowers hidden by even bigger green leaves. Tall trees that towered over them made Luffy wish he could fly up and hide in their crowns. Mushrooms of all sizes surrounded them and made walking a bit hard.

“In here.”

He looked over and located the small entrance in a big trunk. She went in before him, which was appreciated, and he followed after some seconds. The tunnel was dug in the wood and got downwards. Walking through, he was not surprised to see a wide place with a sky of greenery and a sea of little fairies.

A happy chorus of “Viola-hime” welcomed him. Luffy observed the woman waving at and speaking to everyone. She was used to this… He wondered how long had she thought about it. Probably since the beginning of the aftermath.

After ten minutes of chit-chat, they finally noticed the Boss and instantly took a defensive stance.

“Viola-hime, you’ve been followed by the bad spy! Stay back!”

Luffy had to arch a brow. Bad spy. Not really far from the truth.

“No, no, don’t worry.” She tried to calm them. “He is a friend.”

The Boss blinked blankly when all of them believed her on the spot and offered him some tea. This… Really?

“Yes, that’s the situation, Boss.”

“They’re quite the friendly bunch, right?”

Luffy scanned Usopp and Robin with his eyes, nodding and hiding his relief. “Too friendly… Not the place to talk about it.” He took a puff.

The two had done their part, infiltrating the Tontatta Tribe, maybe making use of their trust problem, but the results were what counted, in the end.

“Viola-hime? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, soldier-san.” The woman turned to Luffy with a smile. “He is the one who took care of Rebecca.”

The Boss exhaled some smoke and nodded, looking at the toy that lacked a leg. “I need to have a private talk with you, soldier.”

“Wait there! Wha–”

“It’s okay, Leo. Just a talk.”

“Oh, fine! Over there is a nice room to chat!”

Luffy seriously didn’t have the right words to describe this. He went in that room made of roots and leaves. The toy followed him from a distance, visibly unsure about it all. He closed the wooden door and sat at the small, pink – damn it – couch. The soldier preferred standing.

“What do you wan–”

“You are Rebecca’s father,” he said, finishing his cigarette and burning the stump. “Aren’t you?” Luffy took another stick and lit it with his black flames. “Who’s the one that made you a toy?”

The soldier was gaping shamelessly. He could understand. With everyone forgetting, maybe he hadn’t told about his identity to anyone. Being recognized like that by a stranger after all those years… Might be unbelievable.

“How… How did you…”

“Made my math, answer the question.”

“I… It’s Sugar…”

Bingo. Now… How to go about this. There were some possibilities, some good and some bad plans… Maybe, not alone. No, he had to use his resources rationally. He needed to organize the attack and to… _redirect_ the attention.

Luffy had to act as the diversion.

“I thought you were…”

He looked up sharply, taking a puff of smoke. “What?”

“Doflamingo’s…”

Ah… “Lover?” He wanted to vomit, oddly so. “That’s what he wants… No, I have someone else.” … Where was this coming from.

“Oh. Forgive my meddling.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “Were you planning an attack, by chance?”

“In fact, yes…”

“Very well.” He smoked some. “Let me lend some helpful hands.”

Marco felt literally ditched. Irritation was the first thing he had to quell down, then came a tint of delusion mixed with unfulfillment… And the skeleton’s rambling about a new song was starting to get annoying.

“I think I’ll do a dramatic one this time. You see, my fans like it when my songs make them cry… It’s a way to vent, I suppose. To let out pent up emotions of their ordinary lives.”

Yes, he could relate. His family on Moby would be really happy to “try it out”.

“Everyone has their own fears, problems, demons, as much as each has happiness’ sources. It just becomes hard to see the rainbow through the thundering clouds.”

“True…” Just like Marco couldn’t see how to bind Luffy to himself. Kind of. It was frustrating.

“To bring out the hidden emotions is what I like most about being a singer. They let it all out, it’s… breath-taking… Ah, not that I actually breathe, yohoho!”

He was almost done hearing those kinds of jokes. Sure, it was auto-ironic and probably a way to deal with being dead – a _very_ personal and strange way –, but it was getting “repetitive”.

“Now, I’m rather curious. Aside from irritation, what are you bottling up, Phoenix-san?”

How to get “Luffy”’s attention. It seemed a rather impossible feat, though. He’d tried almost everything, right? What else could he do?

“Ah, I see, our Boss is a slippery one, isn’t he?” Wait.. had he actually said it out loud? “He has his reasons, of course… but we would really like to see him… with someone worthy.” Marco looked up from the chessboard, losing track of the game. “He needs to let loose, just like everyone else.”

The pirate didn’t know how to interpret the skeleton’s words. His expression was hardly decipherable, he had no skin or muscles.

“What are you implying, yoi?”

Brook moved the horse, making a flourish with his free hand. “We are worried, Phoenix-san. The others would not be happy I’m telling you this, but… Let’s say I’m making a bet.” His black eye-sockets twinkled. “Our Boss is a man devoted to his job, as you may have noticed.”

“Hard not to,” he grumbled, earning a brief chuckle.

The skeleton moved a piece after Marco. “We appreciate his devotion, but… He doesn’t relax anymore. He doesn’t let anything get past his control. He doesn’t let anyone in.”

Marco brushed a hand on his face, sighing. “No use telling me that, yoi. I experienced it myself..”

“And yet.” Brook sipped some of his tea. “I have seen him… ah, _ruffled_ , this morning.”

The pirate had the decency to blush a bit. “I kind of attacked him.”

“... Do you have any idea how many tried that, Phoenix-san?”

Done with beating around the bush, he huffed. “Get to the point.”

“As you wish. What I’m trying to say is… Our Boss is actually letting you in.”

Marco blinked. “He literally pushes me away and avoids me.”

“Yohoho… Not really. If he seriously wanted that, he would have killed you, Phoenix-san.”

 _He can’t._ “He ca–”

“Or would have let _us_ kill you.”

…

“You see, our Boss doesn’t like attention, even though his position requires, at times, to be the centre of it. That’s why, if he wanted to get rid of you, he wouldn’t have dropped you on my lap, but he would have ordered me to get rid of your corpse.”

Well… “So… what?”

Brook chuckled again. “I have a feeling a call will come to deliver me some orders in the next few minutes. Because of that, I’ll have to leave you alone, Phoenix-san… I just hope you don’t happen to overhear my conversation... Ah, but I can’t let you out of my sight, now, can I?”

Ok. Marco was starting to like this skeletal fella.

Luffy ended the call with Brook and left the fairies’ cove through the little wooden entrance. Franky, Robin and Usopp were already on position, waiting for the signal to strike. Each had their mission. The robot was to free the fairies. Robin had to save their princess. Usopp had offered to take care of the toys. In the meantime, the Boss would have gone back to the castle with Viola to busy the Shichibukai. As in… He had to be the diversion. And that meant, Luffy had to _please_ him.

He left Viola down on the platform and made his way to ‘his’ quarters. He opened the door to enter, closing it behind immediately. It was kind of lucky – or maybe not – that the man he had to bait was waiting for him on one of the couches.

“How was your tour, _Boss_?”

Luffy unbuttoned slightly his shirt, seeing how Doflamingo’s eyes trailed his body and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. He was already savouring what he wanted to do. The man was seated, leaning on the couch’s back, arms slung on it leisurely, but with a bit of stiffness. Luffy went on. It was what he needed for his plan to work and the others to succeed.

“Satisfying.” He finished the cigarette and turned the stump to ashes. “Thank you.” He didn’t light another, but took the bottle of water he’d asked from Usopp and opened it.

The Boss started taking small sips, but made sure to angle his throat so that the other man couldn’t look any other way. It was working. Doflamingo licked again his lips and straightened some. Luffy walked to the desk, leaning on it and looking at the Shichibukai with his head tilted and his hips cocked to one side. He left the bottle on the surface and crossed his arms.

“What was your purpose in me watching the Corrida?” He lit a cigarette, arms still folded and one hand lifted to smoke. “I know you had one.”

Doflamingo chuckled a bit, unmoving. “I wanted to see if you’d have poked your nose around, _Boss_.”

“… And?” He left the stick between his lips, keeping the indifferent attitude.

“You’ve done a good job checking everything went alright.” Luffy arched an unimpressed brow, then noticed how the man’s lap had a growing bulge. “Going as far as to ask about the delay on the last round…” Doflamingo still didn’t move from the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on the knees. “What else are you willing to do to get my attention?”

…

Oh.

… _Let’s see._

“I thought I already had that.” He took a puff, never unlocking their gazes. “The question would be: what are you offering me?”

The man shook his head, amused. “Isn’t that obvious?” He lifted his arms wide. “Everything you see.”

Luffy hummed, a trail of smoke lifting from the stick to the ceiling as he scratched softly his chin. Uncomfortable, he hopped on the desk and set his legs slightly apart, drawing all the attention to what Doflamingo really wanted and thus distracting him from the conversation. The bulge became even bigger.

“So, you want my loyalty?”

“No, _Boss_.” His smirk gained malice. “I want your _everything_.”

“And what would my role be?”

After some seconds of silence, the Shichibukai finally stood, leaving his pink coat on the couch. He approached Luffy until there was no distance between him and the desk, hovering over the raven with his height. Their crotches were almost touching. He ignored forcefully the spark spreading from his Mark and the heat pooling in his lower stomach.

“Partner. Informant. Lover.” A hot breath ghosted on his left ear, goose bumps running on his skin. “All you are, all you have, _Boss_.”

“… You’re pretty obsessed, don’t you think?”

Two big hands gripped his waist tightly, making him almost moan. “You made me like this.”

Luffy discarded the cigarette, knowing fully well where this was going. “I did nothing.”

“Exactly.” Diflamingo’s hands slid down to his ass and pulled the raven’s body against his, grinding their fronts together twice. Both groaned at the contact, for different reasons. “That’s what made me the craziest.” He pushed Luffy down by climbing on top of him on the desk. “You did nothing, yet here I am.” Another rude brush. “Willing to let you in my family just to have you for myself.”

The man was too lost in his madness to notice how everything he was doing wasn’t pleasuring the raven at all. Instead, it felt plainly _horrible_. He didn’t know what he wanted to do anymore… He was working, it was nothing _more_ , and yet…


	8. 08 – Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words: 4182.
> 
> Heat ahead :D Just a warning xD
> 
> Enjoy!

Franky and Robin dashed silently past the last layer of guards and slid behind a tree of the underground garden. The enormous greenhouse was surrounded with seastone walls and a big glassed dome.

“Be careful.”

Robin nodded and looked over the trunk. “Those are the Tontatta people… but where might their princess be?”

“I’ll have yer back.”

She nodded to Franky and closed her eyes, calling for her Devil Fruit. Eyes, hidden but taking in everything, popped out in the strangest places, scanning, searching, _finding_.

“Sugar is in the upper floor.” She said through a mouth on Usopp’s back, before making it disappear. “The toys are in the factory.” She turned to Franky. “But Mansherry-hime is in the palace, in a cell.”

“Then you go there, we’ll take care of things here.”

Robin nodded and sneakily left, mentally going over the map Boss had showed them. Franky moved his gaze on the factory, chestnut’s hairstyle bouncing with him. To free them, he had to knock out the Shichibukai’s minions. He stretched and took a deep breath. It was showtime.

Meanwhile, Usopp loaded the Tatababasco’s bullet and took aim. Sugar was none the wiser, turning people into toys and giving them strict orders. He held his breath… and shot.

There it was again.

Pain. Unrest. Rage.

Thousands’ times worse than before.

Marco struggled to keep his poker face, eyeing his bandaged wrist with unusually furrowed brows. He gritted his teeth and continued his walk to the elevator, knowing he could not start to run out of the blue. He could ride it to retrieve his prize, as he still hadn’t, and use the chance to search for Luffy, that he knew was in the palace thanks to Brook. He seriously owed him.

However, he had more pressing matters that needed his attention. Like the sparks from his tattoo, the desire to rip apart whatever he could reach for first, the lust increasing with each step… His mate was in heat, he knew. It was obvious through the warmth spreading from his wrist to his every bone and muscle.

Marco needed to find Luffy, so he walked to the open door of the palace and started speeding through the corridors, instinctively knowing where to go.

In his haste, he almost knocked over a toy, sidestepping at the last possible moment. The soldier gasped at him and took on an offensive stance, but the pirate just huffed.

“If you want to fight me now, you’ll die, yoi.” And it was true, because he felt rage deep within his soul.

But the toy dropped his stance. “Not you. Doflamingo is–”

“Ah, the Phoenix…” He turned to the woman, eyes narrowing. “Searching for my Boss, maybe?” Her smile was all politeness and dangers.

“Nico Robin.” And she flinched subtly. Who hadn’t stumbled upon this raven’s wanted poster? Putting a reward on a child… His pops had been outraged.

“I see why Brook decided to give you a chance.” Her smile took a sharper edge. “But Boss is not here.”

“You’re lying, yoi,” Marco firmly declared. “He’s here, and I will find him.”

“Then–” He turned to the toy, that was fidgeting on his only leg. “Are you the someone else that spy was talking about?”

The pirate arched a brow. “Which ‘someone else’?”

The soldier turned his head a bit. “I asked him about his relationship with Doflamingo… Everyone thought– but he said he already has someone else.” He looked at Marco again. “Is it you?”

Marco would have been delighted to say, _yes, I am_ … As things stood, this someone else could be literally anyone and that made him infinitely sad and even angrier.

“I don’t know, yoi,” he answered, instead.

The urge to find Luffy came back with a mad vengeance and he started walking, missing how Nico Robin had actually pointed him towards that exact direction. He was going to the room in which the raven had led him after the Colosseum event. He had a feeling… His wrist burned and he was a step away from barging the door open when–

A multitude of images, _memories_ assaulted his mind all at once. Fragments of something he didn’t know he was missing. The battle with those new rookies, where it was not just some rookies but his to-be new little brothers, _Ace and Sabo_. The effort to make them open up to the crew. The months of fights and trying to make them understand that they were welcome and _safe_. The satisfaction and personal joy at seeing them finally enjoying their time onboard…

 _Who the **fuck** had made him **forget**_.

Noises of destruction mixed with a welcome feeling of rage made him look up at the door. Marco pushed it open and, deep inside, he took immense pleasure in the sight of a crater in the walls, of debris flying everywhere, of the palpable ire floating in the air… of his mate, standing mighty, powerful, godly on the floor with a lifted fist, panting black fire, baring silvery teeth, widening red eyes. His pants were unbuttoned, his shirt was dishevelled, showing flexed muscles that gleamed in the afternoon’s sun.

Marco jumped in front of him and enveloped him in a loose embrace. He was not pushed away. The scalding breath hovered on his skin, hot but _safe_ , making him shiver. The red, flashing eyes moved on his face and the lips drew back on the teeth after an angry huff. He wanted nothing more than to see his mate _crush_ the man laying in the crater, but he also wanted to see if Luffy would crumble in front of him, if he would _accept_ their bond.

The raven did.

He relaxed impossibly in his arms, black fire stopped coming out of his mouth and he hid his face in the pirate’s neck with a shivering breath. “I want to kill him…” He whispered.

Marco had to agree. “Me, too. But we need to make sure they’re safe, first, yoi.” He cradled his fingers in the hair, marvelling at the soft strands as the other nodded minutely. “I’ll take care of him, it’s my _right_.” For endangering them, for kidnapping them, for erasing them… for _touching_ him. “You go and find our brothers and the rest.” He put his hands on either side of Luffy’s face to look in his eyes. “Then, I’ll take my time making you understand how angry and famished _I_ am.”

Luffy’s cheeks reddened, but he didn’t escape his gaze. Instead, he cupped Marco’s hands and leaned forward to sniff his neck and leave a soft kiss on his skin.

“Fine… I’ll be waiting, _mate_.”

Thank whatever, the raven disappeared right after, or he would have fucked him right there and then. Sounds of shuffles and fabric ripped made his eyes focus back on the present. Marco shot his head to the side, surveying the hole and smirking at the damage of what seemed to be a punch of _his mate_. Doflamingo was standing, three walls away, from the debris under his ass. His usual pink coat was nowhere to be seen, his chest was bare and his pants were unbuttoned, while the underwear was lowered, barely hiding what had almost taken _his mate_.

Anger boiled once more in the pit of his stomach, in the back of his eyes, in the vessels underneath his skin. He was punching the eyesore before he could notice, sending him through four more walls. The feeling of pain in his knuckles made hot, red rage curse through his limbs even more. The punching bag was about to die, bleeding and suffering.

Zoro flexed his arms, testing the feeling of his skin, _finally_. His Boss had freed them, he was sure.

“Told you, just a matter of time.”

Who turned out to be a raven with freckles and a blond with googles rolled their eyes at him, thoroughly done with hearing him constantly saying that, but they were grinning from ear to ear. Zoro rolled his shoulders and slashed another goon, happy to shed blood after being confined in a _toy_ , goddamnit.

There was chaos everywhere, but he zeroed on Usopp and flashed to him. The idiot shrieked but he had no time to idle around.

“What are the orders?”

Usopp panted some, trying to regain his breath – and his escaping soul. “Boss is distracting the Mingo, Franky will free the fairies and Robin their princess. I had to take out Sugar.” He pointed at the child with a foaming mouth. “Then, we’re to regroup on the ship after taking care of this massive mess.”

Zoro nodded. “Fine. Let’s do this… Usopp, show these idiots the way out.” The long-nosed raven nodded and ran off on his way. “Robin, find that princess, how’s Franky?”

A voice reached him from his shoulder, “He’s knocked out Doflamingo’s goons, I’m almost at Mansherry’s prison.”

“Good, report news. I’ll search for the Boss.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t…”

Zoro stopped in his tracks and arched a brow, a bad feeling pooling in his stomach. “What happened.”

“Marco the Phoenix happened.” Which wasn’t very telling. “Listen, he went to Boss’ rooms and then there was something like an explosion. I only know Boss is not here anymore and that someone’s fighting… one-sidedly, I think.”

The swordsman swept his eyes on the chaos ensuing in the hidden docks and sighed. This was turning out to be a lot messier than expected. Though, he wanted to see this island in chaos, if only to soothe his pride at being turned into a toy. His Boss was surely a bit mad, at least, which was _always_ a sight to behold.

“Whatever, report when you have news. I’ll try to locate our Boss.”

The feeling of mouth and ear on his shoulder disappeared and Zoro jumped on a girder over everything happening below. He unsheathed one sword and closed his eyes, making his Haki do the rest. However, before he could extend the radius of his Kenbunshoku Haki, an explosion-like sound reverberated through the wide space. Zoro blinked his eyes open and marvelled at the destruction.

Only his Boss could do this much with a single punch.

There were debris everywhere. The toys-returned-humans were trying to get away from the glowering, black figure that had probably punched through hundreds of meters of concrete. His fist was bloody, but he was not bothered by possible pain. His eyes were scanning the scared crowd. They even found him and some of the tenseness in his shoulders was lifted.

But they truly went back to their normal straightness when the two brothers, Ace and Sabo, entered his sight. Zoro vaguely remembered Luffy talking about someone he wished to protect, but not who. That was his answer to one of his Boss’ many mysteries.

From what he knew about the two, they were Whitebeard’s new crewmates. Which _could_ explain the Phoenix’ presence on the island, but things didn’t add up. Where did the pirate disappear to when they were waiting in that lobby for the final phase of the Corrida? Why had he kept stealing glances at his Boss? And why was Luffy focused on not letting information on their relationship in the open? Though it was strange, it would hardly be the first time he indulged the attentions of a pirate.

No, something more was being hidden and, this time, Zoro felt the need to know. Because he was to protect his Boss, and he couldn’t if he didn’t know who to protect him from.

Marco trailed his eyes on the blood seeping through many, many wounds. It was oddly satisfying, he’d never been one for displays of violence. But this case… He felt the need to stake his claim, because it _was_.

Luffy was _his_.

“Do not ever try to get your hand on him again, yoi.” Words that escaped his lips in a growled threat. “I won’t be this generous.”

And that was for sure. Doflamingo laid on the floor, unable to move anymore. His glasses were cracked, his smirk was off, his clothes were torn, his breaths were ragged and betraying tiredness, along pain. It was all Marco needed. He located a discarded pair of seastone cuffs and launched them at the arms blooming from the wall behind the Shichibukai… or former one.

“Don’t let him escape, yoi.”

With that, Marco leaped through the window, jumping off the castle’s platform. His eyes _knowingly_ located a crater in the midst of the houses below and, without a second thought, he jumped down.

He knew Luffy was there.

And, _there_ he was. With Ace and Sabo. Safe, still angry, but safe.

Marco approached them in the chaos of several battles between pirates and Doflamingo’s men, slipping at Luffy’s side as if it was the most normal thing in the world. As if he was meant to be there, brushing his shoulders against the raven’s one, inhaling the scent of ashes and fire and smoke, locking gazes with bottomless pits, seeing the lust and the need.

He was still in heat, of course.

“Marco! You’re safe!”

He forced his eyes to move towards his brothers. “You’re one to talk, letting them turn you into toys, yoi.” Rather easy to piece the puzzle together, once the memories had returned.

Ace pouted in that scowling way, crossing his arms. “We’ve been drugged…”

“Also, Scarf-san would have found us!” Sabo grinned.

Both frowned when Luffy conjured another scarf and hid his face. Well, Marco was completely scowling, so…

The raven took a cigarette and lit it between his lips. “Zoro.” The green-haired pirate he’d seen in the Colosseum stepped near them from above, light and graceful, branding a sword. “The evidence?”

“We have everything needed.”

“Rebecca-hime?”

“She’s knocked out on Sunny, fairies’ merit.”

“The King?”

“Somewhere.” He shrugged.

Marco blinked at the mouth appearing on the sword. “We’ve released Mansherry-hime, Boss. Kyros is also safe and dealing with some officers.”

Luffy nodded. “We’re retreating. Fujitora is on the island, he’s more than enough to bring order… We just need to regroup and leave.” The swordsman gave a curt nod back. “Bring Ace and Sabo with you, I need time with this man here.” One finger was pointed at his face, Marco struggled not to glare at it, offended. “Depart as soon as everyone’s gathered… And beware of Big Mom.”

“Wait, what?!”

“We’re not goi–”

With a strike to their napes, Ace and Sabo were out cold and the man called Zoro heaved them both on his shoulders. “See you later, Boss.”

Luffy then grabbed his wrist and tugged him away. The pirate didn’t know where they were running to, but all his focus was on the man leading him – barely registering the wound on one hand – and, specifically, his gorgeous ass. He also didn’t know if this was the heat coming from his mate at fault, but he was barely holding back the urge to… _claim_ him.

Without noticing what he was doing, thoughts… _desires_ turned into actions. Marco leaned forward, uncaring of the sea of frantic and scared people, and nuzzled his nose in the scarf that was hiding the raven’s neck. He felt the shiver, the itched breath, the _heat_ , and inhaled them all. The blond brushed his lips and nose on the skin, unaware they had stopped to a complete halt in an alley, and felt himself _pleased_ at the reactions he was getting. Luffy’s breath was becoming laboured, he could see his cheeks a tad redder behind the scarf and the wrist the other was holding was squeezed more than once. Nervousness, anticipation, _eagerness._

He couldn’t stop his other hand from moving and reaching for the waist, light but firm. He felt the muscles flex under the shirt, pressed his chest against Luffy’s back and breathed in the addicting scent. A low moan reached his ears and he smirked in pure delight.

“Can’t deny it anymore, yoi?”

He started nibbling the junction between neck and shoulder, pressing lips and teeth on the skin with half-lidded eyes. His wrist was unconsciously freed, so Marco moved that hand on the waist, too, and delicately caressed Luffy’s hips. The raven almost collapsed on the pirate, that couldn’t help but chuckle darkly, aroused beyond salvation.

“Do you _seriously_ … want to do this… here…?”

Well, he could. That lustful, low, addicting voice sure made him want to. Marco hummed and searched around with his eyes. While he knew there was no one in the buildings towering over them, he didn’t know if there was a bedroom, though that was a second thought. He could do with only a wall. He held more tightly on the perfect waist and jumped on a nearby windowsill, crouching down with the beautiful man, his _mate_ , in his arms. The window opened easily, but the feeling of a _subdued_ Luffy in his hold almost made him lose control. He bit his lip and slid in… what turned out to be a hotel room.

Lucky him.

Marco didn’t let go of Luffy, simply pushing him against a wall and relishing in the feeling of power and arousal filling the room and his, _their_ whole bodies. He pressed against Luffy, trapping him and brushing against him, as he softly gripped that damn scarf and started taking it off. His face was still buried in the delicious neck, his tongue and lips continued teasing the skin, earning shivers and low moans…

 _Fuck_.

“Tell me what you want, _Luffy_ …”

That was the huskiest his voice could reach. And wasn’t it telling enough…

Marco gripped the waist and turned Luffy around, finally ravishing the sight.

Wow…

Luffy’s eyes were half-lidded, black, bottomless pits that sucked him in, that _pleaded_ him to _go on_ , to _claim_ him. His cheeks were red, slightly puffy and very adorable. His lips were parted, fast-paced breaths escaping through and ghosting on Marco’s shoulder blades, ready to be bit and kissed and abused. His neck was in plain sight, slightly reddened spots surfacing where he’d already slightly marked the soft skin.

“I…”

Marco almost didn’t notice the unsure, whispered word. “You… what, Luffy?” He breathed back directly in the other’s ear.

Completely unable to resist, he licked the lobe and grazed his teeth on the flesh. “I–ah… _Marco_ …”

The pirate smirked while sliding his hands from the waist to the ass and thighs, gripping them and lifting him up the wall. The ear slipped from his lips, but the neck came naturally at his height and he couldn’t resist, again. As he resumed leaving marks, Luffy’s legs circled his waist and crossed on his back, making him hiss at the pleasurable friction this caused. In retaliation, Marco bit with more strength, still not enough to draw blood.

Luffy let out a louder moan, his breaths becoming messier and utterly _beautiful_. “Uhm…?” But, this time, he wanted an answer. He stopped everything, his lips hovering over a darkening love bite. “Tell me…”

Some moments passed, in which the raven was actually trying to regain some semblance of control. Marco looked at his face, locking gazes. He visibly tried saying something, but, instead, he closed his mouth and _swallowed_. That motion alone made Marco’s willpower waver dangerously.

Luffy’s hand suddenly tugged him down by grabbing his shirt’s sleeve and he whispered in his ear: “ _Take me_ …”

That, literally, was what he’d wanted to hear for _months_.

Marco let go of one thigh to grab the raven’s neck and face and attack his lips. He’d already tasted them, but this was _entirely_ different. His lust took control, his tongue tangling with Luffy’s in a fierce battle that neither truly wanted to win. The blond bucked his lips, creating friction that urged him to rid them both of their damn clothes. He just tore apart his mate’s shirt and let his free hand roam on a warm chest and hip, tugging harshly at the pants. He felt Luffy’s hands doing the same to him, but they were more precise in finding the belt and getting rid of it.

In a moment, Marco moved them from the wall to sit down on the single bed in the room. Unable to stop kissing his mate, he swiftly took care of their clothes, tearing his own shirt apart, and massaged the naked hips, inner thighs, lifted them and cupped that perfectly round ass all the while mapping Luffy’s mouth, that was _his_.

When the raven spread his legs more and gave a pleading moan, Marco just let his hand go down, his fingers brush against the hole to find it already a bit loosened and wet. He couldn’t suppress the smirk, ending the heated and delicious kiss.

“Can’t wait anymore, _Luffy_?”

The other could just shake his head with pleading eyes. “I’ve waited enough…”

Marco hummed, fingers still teasing his entrance. “Yet, you were about to let someone else…” One finger entered the hole for just a second before retreating, gaining a low gasp. “ _Here_.”

Luffy bit his lower lip and leaned his head on the blond’s shoulder, shivering a bit. “It’s my job…”

“To fuck your enemies?” For an instant, he thought his voice would be angry, but it wasn’t.

“I…” Marco’s finger entered him again and started massaging the inner muscles, making the other flinch and _mewl_. “It’s a wea–uhm…”

“A weapon, yoi…” He helped out with an annoyed huff. “I guess–”

“But I wasn’t enjoying it.” Those words made him stop and turn his head to Luffy, that was already looking at him with glassy eyes. “I didn’t enjoy a second of it.” He took a deep breath, straightening on Marco’s lap. “I couldn’t, because… It was horrible and… My mind was… Somewhere else…”

The pirate leaned forward, looking up at the black orbs, noses almost touching. “Somewhere else?”

Luffy nodded and adverted his eyes. “I could… I could only think about you…” His cheeks became redder. “And this…” One of his hand shot forward to grab Marco’s manhood in a sharp motion that made him hiss and close his eyes. “Only this… Only with you…”

The raven’s fingers were caressing his muscle with a feather-like touch that made him see white. Like the words just spoken.

Another hand joined his own and two more fingers entered Luffy’s hole, that twitched, causing a louder moan. They stretched the entrance with practised ease, thing that made him horny and angry at the same time. Who _else_ had done _this_ to _his_ mate.

“It’s your right to be angry… But can you hunt them down _after_ I get my fill?”

Fine, now he was more aroused than angry, so he would just _fill_ his mate up and through. However, before he could gather the willpower to fight through the haze Luffy was causing him, the other took matters in his hands and literally impaled himself on Marco, that hissed again in pure pleasure. Two arms sneaked behind his neck, one hand’s fingers grabbing his hair in a gentle but firm hold. His own hands travelled to Luffy’s hips, fingers loosely reaching the ass, and kept him still.

He searched his face for discomfort, the little, _sexy_ shit, and kissed him again before making him start moving. The spy set a slow pace, using Marco’s shoulders to stay straight on his lap. The blond soon lost track of time and anything else to solely focus on the beauty riding him like a wild beast.

For a fleeting moment, he hoped this heat thing came monthly, because he’d never experienced something alike before.

Noticing the lust-driven state of his mate and the not really comfortable position, Marco flipped them over the bed without leaving Luffy’s embrace. Their faces were inches apart as he thrusted deeper in the other. The spy’s moans got _louder_ and Marco wanted more of those sounds to come out. He adjusted his position and kept going faster and faster, as Luffy was pleading him to with urge in his voice. The pirate let go of one bruised hip to give much wanted attention to his mate’s erection. His mouth latched on the other’s neck to suck and bite and leave more marks.

“Mine, Luffy.” He said between pants and grunts. “You’re _mine_.” His wrist pulsed, sending even more pleasurable feelings through his body.

As an answer, Luffy moaned the loudest till then, crossing his legs on Marco’s back and pushing him deeper. “Yours… all you want.” And he bit down on the blond’s neck, making him fasten his pace even more.

They came together, just like that, holding onto each other’s neck and flesh. Flushed, drained, mildly satisfied, not at all done.

Marco took some time to regain his breath and blink away the black spots. He smirked, completely smug, and nibbled some more the addicting neck. “You told your subordinate one hour, yoi.”

Luffy’s pants didn’t slow down. “Yeah… Not going to be enough…”

“Uhm?” He moved inside his mate with a kiss, savouring the broken moan of surprise. “No words were wiser. You’re not going anywhere.”

He seriously hoped this room was not rented.


	9. 09 – Submitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand the ending :D A bit shorter, but I hope it will do ;)
> 
> Words: 2124.
> 
> Enjoy!

“That’s all.”

“…” Zoro merely blinked. Then looked down with crossed arms. And huffed. “Fine. It’s an inconvenience, but at least…”

Luffy could only nod, crushing the cigarette’s butt in the ashtray and searching for his pack. “At least, he’s not just a random someone.”

“He can defend himself and Whitebeard will not stand by, if anything… happens.”

The raven sighed, brushing a hand on the neatly lined papers and _still_ searching for his cancer sticks. “If anything happens…”

“Can’t you… get rid–”

“He can’t.” Seemingly sleepy eyes swept over the swordsman from the darkness of the ship’s office. “You neither, yoi.” The figure moved forward to stand behind Luffy, that gave up searching for his cigarettes, coming to the dim light seeping through the porthole. “And, even if the order was given, you’d have no chance against me.”

Zoro held back a protest, understanding that it was true. He would have no chance. The crew altogether, maybe, but then… His Boss was fine with this, so he was fine with this. It didn’t mean Zoro would not try to keep things under control, to take care of his Boss when he wouldn’t himself. He would, as always, stand back and watch. The green-haired man sent a meaningful, telling glance to the blond.

With a nod, he turned to the door. “I’ll inform the others and check on Trfalgar. Route?”

“I’ve given a Vivre Card to Franky. Afterwards, we’ll go back.”

The sound of the door closing made Luffy sigh and massage his forehead. He really hated his Devil Fruit’s perks. This was troubling Zoro, which was quite easy at times but it was also something he didn’t like. His First Mate was a worrywart, kind of obsessed with control, especially if the issue involved the Boss.

“What loyalty…”

“Surprised?” The chair was turned and Luffy looked up to Marco’s eyes with an arched brow. “I’ve work to do…”

“I’ll admit that, yes, I’m a bit surprised, but pleasantly, yoi. For one that likes solitude, your subordinates seem to be on the verge of worshipping you.”

“It’s not like that…”

“Uhm? And what’s it like, then?”

Did he really have to– “I might have saved them in their worst moments… Some of them are still escaping difficult situations… Take Sanji, for instance.” Marco sat down on the floor and tugged Luffy to him, effortlessly making the raven slid from the chair to his lap. “He’s hiding from his family that wants to use him in a combined marriage.”

“The cook? Really? Tell me more.”

He really, _really_ shouldn’t– Luffy sighed, relaxing in the intoxicating embrace. “Zoro was a pirate-hunter, he now is willing to work with them if it’s to complete a mission. He likes fighting, by the way, and you’ll probably end up in a _friendly spar_.” He lifted his hands to Marco’s shoulders. “I won’t stop you two as long as the ship is not damaged. Usopp is a perfect liar, his father is part of– I shouldn’t be telling you all of this.”

The pirate leaned forward and inhaled Luffy’s scent with closed eyes, arms draping the raven’s waist. “Go on.”

“No, this… You should not even know we _exist_.”

“Well, I already do, yoi. Telling me more won’t make things harder to deal with.”

Luffy’s breath hitched when a wet muscle licked his neck, sending shivers down his spine. “You know too much, you’re in more dangers than you can understand…”

Marco blinked, leaning back against the wooden wall and looking at Luffy’s flushed face. “So, you’re _worried_.”

The blush darkened and the raven adverted his gaze. “No, I–”

The pirate suppressed a chuckle, but a smile surfaced. He nuzzled his nose in Luffy’s hair, near his left ear. “Yes, you are. And I’m happy about it, yoi.” He closed his eyes, slowly moving his hands up and down his mate’s sides. “But you know very well I can defend myself on my own. Stop resisting, _Luffy_ …”

It was not an order… But, _damn_ it. “His father is Red Shanks’ crewmember,” he finally said. Accepting all of this was not going to be… “… Why is it so _easy_ to trust you…”

“I’ve never quite liked him… He always tries to make me join him.”

The raven put some distance between them to look Marco in the eyes. “Really?”

He nodded with a sigh. “I already have pops, why insisting?”

“He’s always been childish, but… I know him, he’s not that idiot.” Luffy leaned back on the desk, arms on his thighs. “And, if I know him well enough, he has a reason for doing it. A good one.”

“How do you know him?” His hands settled on slim hips. “Not to offend, but you’re not one to hold a conversation with.”

“You’d be surprised how many people try and how many more would not, but _talk_ to me.” He smirked slightly. “Anyway, I met him before Ace and Sabo. He tried to kidnap me from my home island, but failed and sulked for a whole month. Turned out he knew my real identity and wanted to help me.”

“Your… real identity?” Marco leaned forward a bit, curious. “Your bloodline, perhaps?”

He sighed. “Yes, my bloodline. I am…” He scowled. “I’m Garp’s grandson and Dragon’s son.”

The blond blinked. And paused. “That’s crazy, yoi.”

“I know. Gramps wanted me to become a marine and dad wanted me to become a revolutionary. I fled from both.”

Marco lifted a hand to make Luffy look at him. “You became one of the Government, though.”

He shrugged. “Not exactly. They can’t control me, I work outside their power games. I can make a difference, see Dressrosa yesterday. Or look at Ace and Sabo. Ace would have been dead years ago if I had not played my cards right.” He took a deep breath. “You don’t know, but Blackbeard tried to buy a Shichibukai’s position by offering me Ace.”

The blond shook his head. “Actually, Teach told me a certain Boss refused Gol D Roger’s son… but enlighten me.”

Luffy nodded. “Doflamingo called for a meeting, it’s something that happens every now and then. His purpose, this time, was to make me meet Teach and hear his proposal. I refused, ate his hand. Doflamingo was pleased nonetheless.” He felt the hands on his hips tighten. “Oh, I also told Teach that I would have warned Whitebeard, I think that’s what made him think about abducting one of you. And that’s the reason why I came to retrieve you.”

Marco blinked, then looked at the tattoo. “You also thought about _this_ , Luffy.”

“… I might have.”

“A liar, beside a spy?”

“The two unsurprisingly go along pretty well,” he whispered. “Anyway, seeing as Doflamingo flew too high, I decided to take care of matters in Dressrosa and… here we are.”

“Here we are…” He echoed. “I should have killed him, not only beaten him.”

Luffy observed him with narrowed eyes. Then, suddenly, leaned down to kiss him on the lips. But he had no time to answer it.

“You did right in not killing him. I also have a new chess piece now, locked in Impel Down. Do not think lightly of prisoners in Level 6.”

Marco barely registered that a Level 6 should not exist, because he only wanted to deepen the kiss. Something initiated by Luffy felt too precious to let it just end there. He captured those addicting lips and hugged his frame, nullifying the distance between their bodies.

He had his mate laid on the desk in no time, savouring his skin and slowly moving inside him. He knew what awaited them. A long time apart. Until Luffy had his heat or Marco decided it was enough and hunted him down. Because he _knew_ the other would have tried to keep his distance. He needed to make him understand it was not acceptable.

“Tell me, Luffy…” He slammed in his mate more roughly, literally tasting the moan in the air. “Why are you going to keep on refusing this?” And again.

The raven held on his arms, leaving scratch marks. “Because… this is just… instincts…”

Marco frowned, keeping up the pace. “Does that mean… anyone would be ok… in my place?”

Luffy’s mind tricked him, he remembered Doflamingo’s actions. He remembered the disgust, the desire to punch him in the face, make him fly through the walls. But keeping everything down, hidden, for his mission’s sake.

“No…” He weakly answered. “No, it would not…”

“Then why?” Marco pressed, knowing he was getting there. “Why won’t you accept _this_?” Almost… “ _Surrender_.” He gave a strong, final thrust.

Luffy came with him, arching his back and neck. The blond leaned down and sucked the raven’s skin, meaning to leave an angry mark. He succeeded. Marco licked it as they both descended from their high. It felt like an eternity later that they locked gazes, eyes glistening and tired, _again_. Luffy had officially lost count.

Surrender was one thing he’d never done. He searched the black orbs, trying to find what he always saw: deception, second motives, void lust, lies, hunger for power… But none of them was there, only… He didn’t dare think about it.

Luffy sighed, unperturbed by their position and the fact Marco didn’t seem to be about to move out anytime soon. He didn’t mind, anyway. The Boss slowly let his hands slid up his mate’s arms. Marco’s forehead was creased with worried lines, but he was also waiting.

Did he really want to let this man be part of his life? Of _this_ life? Did he want to trust him into being able to fight whatever comes their ways? He already trusted him with Ace and Sabo, he trusted Whitebeard would do anything in his power to protect his children, he trusted Marco to always do the right thing…

Luffy impossibly relaxed in the hold as his mind and body settled. “Fine. You win.”

He stretched his arm to the side of the desk, where papers were crumpled and messy. He took one and tore a piece, grabbing a pen to write something. Marco still had to move, but he was eyeing the other with keen interest. Luffy folded the paper and held it between two fingers before hooking it behind the blond’s ear.

“That’s my private contact… Private as in, only my subordinates know it exists.” He took another paper, not noticing how Marco was reacting to his actions, and offered it with the pen. “Do you have one or do I need to contact Whitebeard every time first?” Because that was a hindrance.

Imagine, during his heat: hello, I need your son to fuck me for three days straight, is that possible? Yeah, no. But it also made Luffy smile in amusement.

Marco, though, was currently on cloud nine. Robotically, he took the pen, ignored the paper and wrote the numbers on the raven’s arm. Luffy rolled his eyes at the show of possessiveness, but there was something else that caught his attention. _Something_ had stirred down there, already buried in his body.

“You sure you’re a Pheonix? Reminds me of a rabbit.”

The blond gave a thrust, making Luffy hiss. “Yes, where else would I take the stamina, yoi..” He kissed his lover’s lips with fierceness. “Now that you’ve _submitted_ , let us enjoy the afternoon, uhm?” He bit down on the other’s neck, picking a pace.

The raven just let him do whatever he wanted.

“… That’s about it, Pops.”

Whitebeard laughed, a lot more relieved than half-an-hour prior. “I see. Again, I’m indebted to you.”

Luffy dragged a puff of smoke and shrugged. “Not really, I would have done it nonetheless. There was something I wanted to ask, though.”

Marco arched a brow. Ace and Sabo had already left to make sure everyone onboard knew about their new adventure, leaving the three alone in the Captain’s large cabin.

“Sure, ask away.”

The raven pointed a thumb at Marco. “Your first… son, does he ever accept a no as an answer? Because I’m having troubles making him _submit_.”

The blond had difficulty repressing the urge to push his mate against the nearest wall.

“Gurararara!! As long as it’s important, Marco won’t stop. That’s what caught my attention when I… gave birth. Gurarararara!!!”

His Pops was embarrassing, sometimes. “Yoi…”

“Well, guess it means I’m important. Wanted to inform you we’re kind of going out.”

His lover was shameless. Well, Marco couldn’t really talk…

“Gurararararara!! I expect wedding invitations in a month! Gurararara!”

…

Ok, that didn’t sound all that bad.

“Sure thing, Pops.”

This time, it was Luffy’s turn to sigh in exasperation. Everybody always forgot he had a job as a _spy_. Damn pirates…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap :D Thank you! I hope you liked it! :D
> 
> There is one thing I didn't talk about, on purpose. For now, this story is not an mpreg, in fact, it was not stated it was in my usual warnings. For the moment, is isn't, I may go crazy at some point and decide it is, but this story on his own won't be an mpreg. C:
> 
> See ya next story!! And join me on Discord, I'm more active there, like, daily, and I post my status as often as possible :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this first chap :P See ya!


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